Governance
-
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…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Philippines to investigate possible election interference by Chinese government
Reuters Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the May 2025 midterm national and local elections after a top security official warned that Chinese government-sponsored groups may be attempting to influence the outcomes. “This is truly alarming,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said. “We will conduct a thorough investigation so we can…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
India’s Opportunity at Myanmar’s Crossroads
Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd Myanmar stands at a critical crossroads, facing an escalating internal crisis and mounting geopolitical pressures, notably from China’s intensified support for the military junta that seized power from the democratically elected government more than four years ago. Beijing’s backing has sparked widespread anger by sustaining a regime unlikely ever to achieve legitimacy or stability, directly opposing…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Demographic, philosophical factors may stymie Xi’s military modernization goals, report says
FORUM Staff Changing demographics in China, including a declining youth population, may hinder Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ability to build and develop the modern military he envisions, according to a new report. China’s declining fertility rates, which began in the mid-1960s, have led to an increasingly older society. Despite the end of the CCP’s one-child policy,…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
PRC’s AI assistant, DeepSeek, censors information about Beijing
Voice of America Users of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, DeepSeek, say there is real-time censorship of its answers, calling into question its ability to provide accurate and unbiased information. Users discovered that questions DeepSeek was previously able to answer are now met with the message, “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Upheaval undermines PLA capabilities, fosters distrust, analysts say
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has expanded his military purge to loyalists, raising questions about the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) readiness, Xi’s grasp on power, and distrust between the party leader and PLA elites. Beijing’s defense ministry announced in late November 2024 that PLA Navy Adm. Miao Hua was suspended pending an investigation into “serious…
Read More -
Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Beijing extends its coercive campaign against neighbors
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders complain about a rules-based order in which Beijing did not make the rules. By refusing to accept international laws that protect the global economy and the security of his Indo-Pacific neighbors, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping offers a preview of the authoritarian system he favors. Coercive CCP military activity in and around the…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Australian, island nations’ police to respond to Blue Pacific emergencies
FORUM Staff A new multinational police force based in Australia will provide security for Blue Pacific nations while also serving as a deterrent to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) push to embed itself with law enforcement agencies in the region. The $271 million Pacific Policing Initiative, underwritten by Australia, includes a new training facility in Brisbane and up to…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Palau’s upcoming election triggers concern over PRC manipulated information
Jessica Caterson Palau, a Blue Pacific nation of 22,000 people, will hold its presidential election in November 2024. It comes amid increasing influence attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a potential manipulated information campaign aimed at swaying results, a frequent strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Palau, in conjunction with Taiwan and the United States, began…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Myanmar military on verge of falling from power, analysts say
Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd The Myanmar military junta faces imminent collapse, even though many analysts believed it was “too big to fail” at the start of the country’s armed resistance to restore democracy. The junta seized power in a February 2021 coup, but the resistance coalition’s ongoing Operation 1027, named for its launch date of October 27, 2023, has weakened…
Read More