China’s irregular maritime forces were essential in redrawing the map of the South China Sea over the past two decades, and they remain a fixture in any new ground-level clash with rival claimants.

The year 2024 will witnesses a dynamic and assertive China, challenging the existing global order across economic, military, and diplomatic fronts.

Examining the reasons behind Beijing’s real and imagined defense budgets.

The 20th Congress has solidified Xi Jinping’s position as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong.

A tense visit from US Speaker Nancy Pelosi is serving to underline how longstanding certainties no longer hold true in the Taiwan Strait.

The apparent collapse of a wide-ranging security and economic agreement suggests a triangular arrangement for Pacific nations moving forward.

The best outcome of the Ukraine invasion for Beijing is a weakened, isolated, and dependent Russia. Perhaps this was the plan all along.

The latest defense department report on China’s military modernization suggests that Beijing is rapidly closing the capability gap with Western peers, particularly with regard to air, sea, and missile forces.

The AUKUS pact is notable in its shift from style to substance in US-led efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.

Examining the issues and hotspots that will be making headlines in the week ahead.