Despite the agreement being in place for peaceful coexistence and respect for each other’s sovereignty, if their armies are standing eyeball-to-eyeball for whatever reasons, then China and India need to revisit the Panchsheel Agreement.
US FONOPs in the South China Sea are controversial. Their targeting of China’s “excessive” claims there, their resumption under President Donald Trump, and China’s increasingly strident objections raise questions regarding their intent, effectiveness and necessity.
The US has asked China to step up their efforts in combating terrorism. It is leveraging on China’s own national interests in fighting terrorism as a self-motivated incentive for the Chinese government to ramp up its security efforts against terror groups.
Through a strategic doctrine of electronic and cyber warfare containment, it would be possible for certain strategically significant actors to contain North Korea, while other strategically significant actors simultaneously work toward a peaceful resolution to the issue.
A major concern for India is Pakistan’s involvement in the Saudi-led Islamic military coalition. After all, India had expended considerable political and diplomatic capital to isolate Pakistan for terror attacks emanating from its territory which target India and Indian interests.
The recent London Bridge attack underscores two major trends: IS terrorists are targeting civilians in the main Western cities and they are using low-tech methods like vehicle ramming and stabbing.
The relations between Cambodia and Thailand can be appropriately labelled as a love-hate relationship. Given their current political, economic and diplomatic relations, both countries can enhance their generally troubled relationship through a reciprocal exchange of mutual respect.
Defense ministers, officials and analysts flocked to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to hear the US and its allies bash China, who wisely sent a relatively low-level delegation. Lost in the bluster and bravado were fundamental questions regarding the strategic future of Asia.
China and ASEAN agreed to a framework for the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea in May 2017. Hopefully, after this agreement, none of the claimants or concerned sea-powers would need to fire the first shot.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly declared that he is taking a hardline stance in law enforcement after Islamic radicals torched building structures and took human hostages in the southern city of Marawi.
