As President Obama sought to make his final mark in Asia, visiting Vietnam and Japan last week, he confronted the increasingly clear strategic goals of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Though Xi continues to focus on domestic issues, including a weakening economy, and cracks down on foreign non-governmental organizations with a new repressive law, he is […]

When a U.S. guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese-claimed island in the disputed South China Sea last month, it set off a volley of protests from Beijing. “The U.S. is challenging and provoking the new maritime order by wielding its military power,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. China’s defense […]

The world should respond with care to the upcoming tribunal ruling. Sun Tzu may not actually have advised building golden bridges behind one’s enemies, but there is wisdom in the idea nonetheless. If the betting money is right that the Philippines will win on many if not most points when the tribunal ruling on its […]