‘Important step’: US, China resume military-to-military policy talks after comms freeze
For months Beijing boycotted military discussions, raising fears at the Pentagon that a miscommunication could lead to conflict.
Return of wolf warriors? China bangs drum loudly after US ship sails near Spratly Islands
"China’s actions point to a ratcheting up of pressure in support of spurious claims over the Nine-Dash Line," one analyst told Breaking Defense.
Still ways to go before mil-to-mil talks with China restart: NSC official
"Right now, of course, the secretary of defense does not have a counterpart; there is no [Chinese] minister of defense. We're going to have to probably wait on that one," NSC official Sarah Beran said.
Biden launches AI ‘risk and safety’ talks with China. Is nuclear C2 a likely focus?
Details are scant for now, but experts tell Breaking Defense that any AI agreement between China and the US could involve a pledge not to use AI in nuclear systems.
In China’s military ‘purge,’ final outcomes remain to be seen
"We know about the disappearances within the PLA and elsewhere. But no one really knows why," said Ian Chong, associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
New Chinese 10-Dash map sparks furor across Indo-Pacific: Vietnam, India, Philippines, Malaysia
The new map sparked sharp reactions from India, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. The new document was released one week before the G-20 summit in India. President Xi Jinping was to attend but news reports now indicate he will not.
Why a US Navy admiral says China won’t pick up the military hotline
“This is a very dangerous trend in terms of our ability as major powers to truly work out our issues," Rear Adm. Michael Studeman said of the lack of communications.
The potential end of China’s ‘Period of Strategic Opportunity,’ and what it means militarily
2023 will mark the second year in a row that China's defense budget is slated to increase at a faster rate than the general economy, a potentially worrisome trend for Beijing, writes analyst Dean Cheng.
Xi likely ‘not aware’ of all Chinese gray zone operations, US intel officer says
“There are dangers in how totalitarian states operate,” said Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. “The truth doesn’t always flow very quickly in the dictatorships, and if it’s bad news, sometimes that gets adulterated on the way up to [the top]. We see some of that happening.”
Only 7 NATO members hit alliance’s 2 percent GDP defense spending target in 2022
Despite the concerning finding, between 2021 and 2022, defense spending across the alliance increased by 2.2 percent in real terms, surpassing an estimated $1 trillion.
McMaster: Russian Info Ops Major Focus Of New National Security Strategy
WASHINGTON: Fact. China controls 90 percent of the world’s trade with North Korea. When President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar a Lago club there was, “frank recognition that China does have a great deal of control — a great deal of control over that situation, mainly through the coercive power […]
China Revels In Philippines’ About-Face, But Will It Last?
An international tribunal ruled emphatically in July against Chinese claims to large portions of the South China Sea, acting on a case brought to it by the Philippines. China was furious and threatened many of its neighbors, while also trying to convince them to work with the PRC to resolve the conflicting claims. Then came the new President of […]
‘Lot Of Noise’, Little Change In Philippine-US Relationship: State
WASHINGTON: China continues to claim sovereign control of the South and East China Seas, but the Beijing is taking no actions to enforce its claims, a senior State Department official says. “The point to stress is this: no one is stopping a US Navy warship. The Chinese are not stopping US Navy warships,” Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of State for East […]
Don’t Push China Too Hard After SCS Ruling
UPDATED with Chinese Ambassador, Sen. Sullivan, & CSIS conference WASHINGTON: “To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape,” Sun Tzu wrote 2,500 years ago. It’s a stratagem – often called the “golden bridge” – that the US and its allies would do well to remember tomorrow morning, when a UN tribunal will almost […]
Former NSC Cyber Head Clarke Calls For Global Cyber Treaty
Former National Security Council cyber security director Richard Clarke says the military hasn’t done enough to secure today’s networked weapons systems against hacking and is likely to find out what they’ve missed the hard way once a conflict with a sophisticated adversary begins. “The nightmare scenario that I hear a lot of flag officers worrying about is, […]