62 h. ago For Trump, the only communists to really dislike are those at home

The new US national security strategy says a great deal about how the government imagines its foreign policy in the next few years but tells us just as much about communism and the US president’s view of it. Donald Trump has long had an unusual relationship with communism, in that he does not seem especially concerned by it. Yes, it’s true he does denounce “communists”, “socialists”, “radicals” and “the far left”, but he is rarely speaking about communist regimes opposed to US interests...

Politics

3 d. ago As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

The latest Doha Forum laid bare an uncomfortable truth: Europe is losing its seat at the table of global affairs. The convergence of the Trump administration’s newly released national security strategy and pointed remarks from senior US officials has exposed the continent’s precarious position in a rapidly transforming landscape – one where Europe increasingly finds itself relegated to the sidelines. At the forum, the message from US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker was blunt and unequivocal:...

Politics

5 d. ago US is rewriting its China policy under national security strategy

The recently released US National Security Strategy (NSS) marks a sharp geographic and political turn. It moves the western hemisphere to the top of the agenda and pushes Asia – and with it, visible China-centric “great power competition” – down a notch. This does not mean China no longer matters. Rather, it means Washington now sees China partly through the lens of what it is doing in the Americas instead of only what it is doing in the Indo-Pacific. This shift is not accidental. It is a...

Events

5 d. ago Opinion | US is rewriting its China policy under national security strategy

Opinion | US is rewriting its China policy under national security strategy  scmp.com

Events

5 d. ago Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Mounting US pressure on allies to bolster the first island chain’s defence in the western Pacific Ocean is raising concerns about South Korea’s possible but reluctant involvement in a conflict over Taiwan, analysts have said. In its recently released National Security Strategy (NSS), US President Donald Trump’s administration highlighted the importance of a “favourable conventional military balance” as an “essential component of strategic competition”, focusing on deterring conflict over Taiwan...

Events

5 d. ago Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

Washington’s latest national security blueprint may be one of its most consequential in years, yet it barely mentions Southeast Asia. Analysts say that absence speaks volumes, signalling a narrowing of American priorities that risks turning the region into a “bargaining chip” in the US-China rivalry. The National Security Strategy published by the White House on December 4 presents the Trump administration’s vision for restoring “American economic independence”, alongside preventing conflict in...

Events

7 d. ago Should China Be Reassured by Trump’s National Security Strategy?

Should China Be Reassured by Trump’s National Security Strategy?  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Politics

8 d. ago Trump’s National Security Strategy Sugarcoats China Threat | Opinion

Trump’s National Security Strategy Sugarcoats China Threat | Opinion  Newsweek

Events

1 week ago Trump slams ‘decaying’ Europe and pushes Ukraine on elections

US President Donald Trump deepened his rift with Europe in an interview published Tuesday, calling it “decaying” and blasting key allies as “weak” over immigration and Ukraine. Speaking to Politico, Trump also called on Ukraine to hold elections despite Russia’s invasion and questioned whether the country is truly democratic under President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump doubled down on his recent extraordinary criticisms of Europe, following the release of the new US national security strategy last...

Politics

1 week ago Trump drops North Korea denuclearisation goal, hinting at talks with Kim

US President Donald Trump’s new global security road map has dropped any reference to denuclearising North Korea as a goal, fuelling speculation that Washington may be angling to boost the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang in 2026. The target of ending North Korea’s nuclear threat had been a constant in the National Security Strategy of every US president since the emergence of Pyongyang’s programme in 2003, but was conspicuously absent in Friday’s document. The omission of any...

Politics

1 week ago China Challenges New US National Security Strategy With Visit to Jamaica

China Challenges New US National Security Strategy With Visit to Jamaica  The Maritime Executive

Events

1 week ago What could challenge Washington’s latest strategic goal on Taiwan?

Competing priorities and US economic interests are likely to challenge Washington in its goal of “deterring a conflict over Taiwan” through an overwhelming military advantage, according to experts. The strategic goal was laid out in the White House’s latest National Security Strategy report released on Friday. While the report said the western hemisphere and domestic security were Washington’s top concerns, it also noted that “Taiwan provides direct access to the second island chain and splits...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump recasts US allies as tools to counter China in security playbook: analysts

US President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy frames America’s allies not just as partners, but as instruments to preserve US primacy and counter China’s rise, analysts say. The strategy urges wealthy allies to increase defence spending, align more closely with Washington on measures such as export controls, and take greater responsibility for their regions, a shift that recasts long-standing alliances as tools in great-power competition. The 33-page document declares that the era...

Politics

2 w. ago New US National Security Strategy—Three Things It Says About China

New US National Security Strategy—Three Things It Says About China  Newsweek

Events

2 w. ago Can Seoul count on China’s commitment to Korean reunification?

China’s role in any future reunification of the Korean peninsula should not be assumed, a South Korean analyst has warned at a peace forum in Hong Kong after being asked if Bejing is a reliable partner to help advance the goal. Sung Ki-young, chief research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told the Korean Peninsula Peace Forum on Wednesday that both China and the United States were reluctant to rapidly or radically alter peace and stability on the peninsula, meaning major...

Politics

2 w. ago Can Seoul count on Beijing’s commitment to Korean reunification?

China’s role in any future reunification of the Korean peninsula should not be assumed, a South Korean analyst has warned at a peace forum in Hong Kong after being asked if Bejing is a reliable partner to help advance the goal. Sung Ki-young, chief research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told the Korean Peninsula Peace Forum on Wednesday that both China and the United States were reluctant to rapidly or radically alter peace and stability on the peninsula, meaning major...

Politics