Northeast Asia / NEA
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Contemplations
India, Japan startups to study laser-equipped satellites to tackle space debris
Reuters Space startups in India and Japan will study an experimental approach to the increasing problem of orbital congestion. The method uses laser-equipped satellites to remove debris from orbit. Indian robotics company InspeCity and Tokyo-based Orbital Lasers announced in late 2024 that they will study opportunities for in-space services such as deorbiting a defunct satellite and extending a spacecraft’s life. …
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Departments
Japan’s Arctic Policy
Sakiko Hataya The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate, about three times faster than the global average. This rapid temperature increase has led to significant environmental changes, including retreating sea ice, thawing permafrost and increased coastal erosion. These changes have far-reaching implications not only for the Arctic but also for the planet. Understanding and addressing these impacts are crucial…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Countering China’s Lawfare
Lt. Col. Richard J. Connaroe II/U.S. Army The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) consistently disregards other nations’ borders and sovereign rights. This is evident in Beijing’s actions, particularly in the South China Sea, where the CCP employs strategic legal warfare — or lawfare — to justify its excessive territorial claims and violations of other states’ sovereign rights. Tolerating Beijing’s coercion emboldens…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Joint Force
Staff Sgt. Savannah Mesimer/U.S. Marine Corps In the most significant development to the Japan-United States alliance of the past 70 years, U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) is transitioning to a Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) structure. After their meeting in Tokyo in March 2025, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted the necessity of upgrading USFJ’s command…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Whole-of-Society Resilience
In late October 2024, just a week after China staged military drills simulating blockades and port attacks around Taiwan, the self-governed island revealed its emergency food plans. In a legislative report, the Agriculture Ministry said rice stocks were sufficient to support the 23.4 million residents for at least seven months, the Reuters news agency reported. In the event of a…
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Conflicts - Tensions
A Breakable Bond
The first news to inform North Koreans that their countrymen were fighting — and dying — on Russian battlefields likely came from over-the-border loudspeaker broadcasts by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces. For months, the North’s authoritarian Kim Jong Un regime maintained official silence about its deployment of soldiers to Ukraine, where an estimated 4,000 of them were killed…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Imperfect Partners
The partnership between China and Russia is replete with pitfalls. Despite glowing declarations of a “no limits” friendship and increasing collaboration on military, economic and diplomatic fronts, the nations disagree on major initiatives and question each other’s motives. Their relationship is built on a shaky foundation that teeters among extremes of cooperation, rivalry and mistrust. Take, for instance, Beijing’s muted…
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Features
Shared Success
When Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) personnel joined thousands of troops for the biggest-ever Balikatan in the Philippines in April and May 2025, it was an engagement of historic significance on multiple fronts. It was the JSDF’s inaugural participation in the long-running annual drills hosted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States military, coming as the…
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Departments
Strategy of Denial
Dongkeun Lee/Republic of Korea Navy In the Indo-Pacific, navies play a major role in shaping a balance of power that generates deterrent effects. The roles and strategies of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) are crucial to this deterrence. When we think about power in international relations, it’s easy to imagine armies clashing on…
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Features
Maritime Technology Competition
Strategic investments by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in naval technical expertise supported by military-civil fusion (MCF) programs and military public-private partnerships (PPP) are driving the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) advancements in maritime technology. Concerns are mounting among the United States and its Allies and Partners over the CCP’s rapid development of dual-use maritime technologies through MCF and PPPs. The…
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