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Security & Defense

The PLA, the US Indo-Pacific Command, the Quad, AUKUS and the emerging security architecture of the region.

Iran's Undersea Cable Threat: The Internet's Strait of Hormuz Problem
Security

Iran's Undersea Cable Threat: The Internet's Strait of Hormuz Problem

Iran-linked outlets published detailed maps of undersea cable routes in the Persian Gulf on April 22, 2026. Analysts warn this mirrors Houth

Kenji Watanabe ·
US Army Accelerates Anti-Ship Missile for Pacific Deterrence Against China
Security

US Army Accelerates Anti-Ship Missile for Pacific Deterrence Against China

The US Army is accelerating development of a Precision Strike Missile variant to target ships at 1,000 km. Production constraints and launch

Huang Wei ·
US Military Failures in Iran War: Lessons Unlearned for Asia's Security
Security

US Military Failures in Iran War: Lessons Unlearned for Asia's Security

US lost two AWACS aircraft and three F-15s to friendly fire in the Iran conflict. Chinese commercial satellites provided targeting data to I

Huang Wei ·
Trump Administration Denies Iranian Claims of Missile Strike on US Warship in Strait of Hormuz
Security

Trump Administration Denies Iranian Claims of Missile Strike on US Warship in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian state media claimed two missiles struck a US Navy frigate entering the Strait of Hormuz without permission. US Central Command denie

Kenji Watanabe ·
Iran Warns Trump's Hormuz Plan Is Pretext for Escalation
Security

Iran Warns Trump's Hormuz Plan Is Pretext for Escalation

Iran warns that Trump's Project Freedom is a pretext for escalation. Tehran reviews a 14-point peace plan amid heightened tensions in the St

Huang Wei ·
West Asia's Old Security Order Collapses Under Weight of War and Mistrust
Security

West Asia's Old Security Order Collapses Under Weight of War and Mistrust

The old security order in West Asia is dead, undone by the Gaza war, Iran-Israel escalation, and Houthi attacks. Military power alone no lon

Huang Wei ·
UAE-Israel Ties: Useful but No Middle East Reset
Security

UAE-Israel Ties: Useful but No Middle East Reset

The UAE-Israel partnership has yielded economic and defense gains, but it remains a tactical alignment, not a strategic transformation. Emir

Kenji Watanabe ·
US and China Diverge on Military Vaccination: Two Armies, Two Theories of the Body
Security

US and China Diverge on Military Vaccination: Two Armies, Two Theories of the Body

The US Defense Department has made flu shots voluntary for service members, breaking a 1945-era mandate. China's PLA continues routine mass

Kenji Watanabe ·
The Donroe Doctrine Is Becoming Everything China Feared
Security

The Donroe Doctrine Is Becoming Everything China Feared

Washington's campaign to evict Chinese port operators from Panama and secure lithium access in Bolivia signals a new, aggressive maritime st

Kenji Watanabe ·
61% of Americans Now View Trump's Iran War as a Mistake, Poll Finds
Security

61% of Americans Now View Trump's Iran War as a Mistake, Poll Finds

A new poll reveals 61% of Americans view Trump's Iran war as a mistake, a level of disapproval that took years to reach for Iraq and Vietnam

Kenji Watanabe ·
Iran War Cost to US Taxpayers Sparks Heated Debate Amid Estimates
Security

Iran War Cost to US Taxpayers Sparks Heated Debate Amid Estimates

Iran's foreign minister claims the US war on Iran has cost $100 billion, four times the Pentagon's official estimate. Independent analysts a

Huang Wei ·
Pakistan's Hangor Submarines Deepen China Ties, Challenge India's Naval Dominance
Security

Pakistan's Hangor Submarines Deepen China Ties, Challenge India's Naval Dominance

Pakistan has commissioned its first Hangor-class submarine, built in China, as part of an eight-boat program to enhance underwater deterrenc

Huang Wei ·