china Archives - Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Politics by Numbers: Plato’s Shadows Provide a Ray of Hope?

By APCSS Editor|2023-11-29T14:10:29-10:00November 29th, 2023|

By James R. Sullivan, CFA Abstract: The stories that a country tells itself and others help us to understand how that country sees itself, its place in the world, and its ambitions. Sentiment analysis applied to these stories also provides evidence that countries prepare the narrative ground in advance of military action in similar ways as they prepare the physical battleground. This dynamic was especially apparent prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This paper provides updated sentiment analysis for one ongoing and one potential conflict. Russian sentiment towards Ukraine, as expressed in domestic language media, fell precipitously in [...]

Cross-Domain Repercussions of the Continuing India-China Border Conflict

By APCSS Editor|2022-06-03T16:44:57-10:00June 3rd, 2022|

By Srini Sitaraman Introduction In the summer of 2020, during the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, India-China clashed on the mountain ridges of the Himalayas. This collision involved hand-to-hand combat with clubs and metal rods that caused the death of 20 Indian military personnel and four Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) soldiers.[1] As with the clash, the political and military relationship between India and China rapidly deteriorated. India and China have aggressively fortified the border areas and they are rapidly building military structures along the border areas that include the construction of access roads, bunkers, helipads, ammo depots, and [...]

China’s Gray Zone Operations in the Yellow Sea

By APCSS Editor|2021-09-30T16:43:37-10:00September 30th, 2021|

By Chungjin Jung * Introduction The People’s Republic of China (PRC) elected a new leader, Xi Jinping, at the 18th Chinese Community Party Congress in 2012 and adopted a new national development strategy goal of ‘building a maritime power.’[1] PRC then declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea (ECS) in 2013 and created artificial islands from reefs in the South China Sea (SCS) in 2014 to expand maritime rights to those seas. Similar activities have developed in multiple forms over the past decade. Military experts name these PRC’s gray-zone operations/activities and have studied their characteristics. [...]

China’s Manipulative Use of Climate Change

By APCSS Editor|2021-05-20T12:22:11-10:00May 18th, 2021|

By Deon Canyon * In 2014, following a climate deal between the United States and China, President Obama announced his aim to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, and President Xi Jinping of China reiterated the Paris Agreement commitment by saying that Chinese carbon dioxide emissions would peak by 2030 or earlier. China’s stance was that the impacts of climate change “pose a huge challenge to the survival and development of the human race” and that China is “one of the most vulnerable countries to the adverse impacts of climate change.” By 2016 the results were [...]

Goldilocks Power and the Reform of Irregular Warfare in a Changing World

By APCSS Editor|2021-05-13T15:02:59-10:00May 14th, 2021|

By Deon Canyon * The Irregular Warfare (IW) Annex to the 2020 National Defense Strategy defines irregular warfare as “a struggle among state and non-state actors to influence populations and affect legitimacy.” Irregular warfare is called Hybrid Warfare by NATO, New Generation Warfare by Russia, and Unrestricted Warfare by China. All of these terms place an emphasis on influencing populations, primarily using non-military means below the level of conventional war. Although irregular warfare encompasses a range of activities traditionally dominated by special operations forces, such as counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense and stability operations, this revised definition broadens [...]

The Joint Recovery of Fallen Soldiers from the Korean War: One way for American, Chinese, North and South Korean soldiers to cooperate and reconcile

By APCSS Editor|2021-04-26T12:08:58-10:00April 26th, 2021|

By Dr. Sungmin Cho Introduction While the Biden Administration was reviewing its North Korea policy, Pyongyang once again raised tensions by firing two ballistic missiles on March 24, 2021.[1] Given North Korea’s triple whammy in 2020, — namely the pandemic-related health crisis, economic crisis, and natural disaster —, experts anticipate that the stress-ridden country is likely to continue military provocations. Therefore they urge the Biden administration to send an early signal to Pyongyang for talks and diplomacy.[2] In fact, the Biden administration has already reached out to North Korea, but Pyongyang has not responded.[3] A new approach is needed to break [...]

The Sino-Russian Approach to the Maritime: A Mare Clausem System?

By APCSS Editor|2021-03-31T14:28:54-10:00March 31st, 2021|

By Dr. John Hemmings * The mention in the recently released Interim National Security Strategic Guidance of emerging technologies and non-traditional domains is to be welcomed, particularly the focus on cyberspace, space, and artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to increasing the US’ conventional deterrence capabilities, the increase in resources and focus give our forces the ability to push back and fight in the information domain, a space where Russia and China are increasing the tempo of their gray zone operations and influence campaigns. However, as the West increases its capacities in these non-traditional sectors, we must not forget the basic [...]

China’s Global Security Aspirations with Afghanistan and the Taliban

By APCSS Editor|2020-08-13T09:43:31-10:00August 13th, 2020|

This paper details possible motives of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in forming new partnerships with Afghanistan through a historic lens, amidst the effects of COVID-19 and the U.S. withdrawal. Excerpt As the U.S. plans its departure from Afghanistan, China is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop to build regional ties in meetings with Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan that aim to extend the BRI. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “We will actively promote the building of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Trans-Himalayan Connectivity network, support the extension of the corridor to Afghanistan, and further unleash the dividends [...]

Strategic Competition: Why Pakistan Matters

By APCSS Editor|2020-07-15T10:42:36-10:00July 15th, 2020|

This paper emphasizes the importance of the U.S. maintaining a strong relationship with Pakistan as strategic competition with China intensifies. Excerpt: It is worth noting that Pakistan remains vitally important to U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific, not least because of its all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China who regards it as an “element of its strategic competition with the United States and India.” The current state of U.S.-Pakistan relations is symptomatic of an increasing ambiguity that is counterproductive to advancing U.S. interests. To state the obvious, the more the U.S distances itself from Pakistan, a country not very long ago [...]

Why is China on a Hyper-Aggressive Streak during a Global Pandemic?

By APCSS Editor|2020-06-09T14:35:40-10:00June 9th, 2020|

In this OpEd, Dr. Srini Sitaraman offers three explanations as to why China is engaged in hyper-aggressive behavior in the midst of a global pandemic. Excerpt: As the tensions surrounding China’s accountability in the cause and origins of the COVID-19 continue to mount, China has instigated a global campaign of aggressive rhetoric termed—Wolf Warrior Diplomacy and increased its assertiveness in taking advantage of countries distracted by the global pandemic. Beijing has commenced a violent political crackdown in Hong Kong completely overturning the One-Country, Two-Systems Model to crush all forms of democracy in Hong Kong. View/Download Document [...]

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