China / CCP Influence
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Conflicts - Tensions
Taiwan’s Coast Guard, military drill together in face of China’s repeated bullying
REUTERS Taiwan’s Coast Guard and military practiced joint operations in the face of what Taipei called a growing gray-zone threat from China. Democratically governed Taiwan has repeatedly complained about activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging by China around the island that are designed to pressure it without direct confrontation. China claims the self-governed island of Taiwan as…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S. defense chief calls China’s Indo-Pacific threat real, seeks peace through strength
Reuters Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Indo-Pacific’s premier annual gathering of defense leaders in Singapore, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated the U.S.’s commitment to the region while casting China’s increasing threat as real and potentially imminent. Hegseth called for achieving peace through strength by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding militaries and reestablishing deterrence, the U.S. Department of…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Defense leaders: Ensuring global security requires a collaborative approach
Sentry Ensuring security in a complex geopolitical environment demands a global approach, United States Armed Forces leaders said at a recent security forum. As challenges evolve and the nature of battle changes, the U.S. and its Allies and Partners must continue to work together, vice chiefs of the U.S. Armed Forces said during the 2025 Global Security Forum, hosted by…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Xi may not control, trust the CCP’s military, analysts say
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping may still lack control of his military leaders and be unable to trust them in combat, analysts say. Xi’s ongoing purge of top military officials may indicate his weak position, analysts contend. Xi wants the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be ready to invade self-governed Taiwan by 2027. However, his…
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Conflicts - Tensions
In ‘ground-breaking revelation,’ China’s Taiwan Strait drills show coast guard answers to military command
FORUM Staff China Coast Guard vessels sailed under the command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during two days of military drills in the Taiwan Strait in April 2025, publicly exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) yearslong deception over its coast guard’s military role. It is “a ground-breaking revelation,” reported the Atlantic Council, a United States-based think tank, contradicting Beijing’s…
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Conflicts - Tensions
China deploys army of fake NGOs at U.N. to intimidate critics, probe finds
Agence France-Presse China is deploying a growing army of groups masquerading as nongovernmental organizations (NGO) to monitor and intimidate rights activists at the United Nations, an investigation found. Dubbed “China Targets,” the investigation involving 42 media organizations delves into the tactics Beijing uses to silence critics beyond its borders. One segment of the probe published in April 2025 by the…
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Features
Sea Control
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Daniel R. Post and U.S. Army Capt. Noël Bartley Traditionally, the United States Army has focused on land-based operations, with its role in maritime contexts largely limited to support functions. This is, of course, what armies are designed to do. However, changing geopolitical dynamics and evolving threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, necessitate a broader operational scope and…
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Conflicts - Tensions
China’s bullying won’t deter Philippines’ South China Sea sovereignty, Coast Guard says
FORUM Staff The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) coercion in the South China Sea continued in early April 2025 when a China Coast Guard ship tried to ram a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol vessel off Scarborough Shoal. The CCP’s bullying did not deter the PCG from its mission of asserting Philippine sovereignty in the sea without escalating tensions, the PCG…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Taiwan charges Chinese ship captain with sabotaging undersea cable
Reuters Taiwan prosecutors in April 2025 charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging an undersea cable between Taiwan’s main island and Penghu island, the latest in a series of such incidents that have alarmed officials and increased tensions with China. Authorities detained the captain of the Togo-registered freighter Hong Tai 58 after the cable operator reported the damage, apparently…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Archipelagic defense doctrine anchors Philippines’ territorial sovereignty
Maria T. Reyes The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) ongoing implementation of its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) marks a strategic shift from counterinsurgency operations, which were the AFP’s top priority for decades, to territorial defense. Launched in 2024, the CADC seeks to acquire the capabilities to project military power to deter unwanted incursions or unlawful activities across the…
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