Asia Pacific

The United States is racing to secure dominance over critical minerals—the raw materials that underpin everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to semiconductors and missile systems. Framed as a national-security imperative, Washington’s push reflects a growing fear of dependence on China, which controls large parts of the …

Samantha Fox For years, the idea of an economic “divorce” between United States and China has migrated from academic debate to official policy talk. What once sounded implausible is now openly discussed in Washington, especially after the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising tensions over Taiwan. Yet …

As U.S. and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, China made a deliberate choice: condemn the attack loudly, support Tehran quietly, and avoid a direct military clash with United States. The result is a textbook case of Beijing’s preferred crisis management model—strategic patience …

Dr. Ju Hyung Kim For much of the post–Cold War era, missile defense remained a marginal issue in Canada’s strategic discussion. Ottawa’s decision not to participate in US-led Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) in 2005 was framed as a principled stand against the weaponization of space and strategic instability. …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh Power abhors ambiguity, but it feeds on vacuum. The moment the rumor mill dares to imagine a Middle East without Ali Khamenei, the calculus of force shifts from deterrence to temptation. Whether dead, dying, or diminished, the symbol matters more than the body. Crowns are …

Cory Smith In an era marked by systemic turbulence, the most valuable strategic asset is no longer mere military might or economic heft—it is reliability. Across the globe, conflicts proliferate, geopolitical rivalries intensify, and international institutions are increasingly immobilized by gridlock, polarization, and eroding public trust. In such …

Sandra Bullocci The second round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Geneva on Tuesday under the rhetoric of “guiding principles,” as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi phrased it. A U.S. official confirmed that “progress was made,” yet cautioned that “a lot of details …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh There are moments in protracted conflicts when the vocabulary changes before the maps do, when administrative adjustments quietly outrun diplomacy, and when legal instruments become more decisive than armored brigades; February 13, 2026 may prove to be such a moment, as the Israeli Security Cabinet …

Stavros Atlamazoglou British Secretary of Defense John Healy recently announced that the British military contingent in Norway would double in the next three years from 1,000 troops to 2,000. A Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) of the UK’s Royal Marines conducting Live Firing Tactical Training during Winter Deployment …