Asia Pacific

China's Strategic View: The Role of the People's Liberation Army Dr June Teufel-Dreyer Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Although the militant rhetoric of past decades has abated, the leadership of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is profoundly dissatisfied with the international status quo. The dissolution of the Soviet Union weakened China's ability to wrest concessions from the United States by threatening to move closer to the USSR, and from the USSR by threatening to support the United States. While some leverage can, and is, gained by negotiating with the major successor state to the Soviet Union, this leverage is more limited than in the past..."

Shaping China's Future in World Affairs: The U.S. Role Mr Robert G. Sutter Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Backed by impressive economic growth and steadily increasing military power, China's international influence has grown substantially in recent years. Beijing's growing assertiveness in a variety of areas from trade policy to the Taiwan Strait has challenged important interests of the United States and others with a concern for international stability. Chinese power poses a set of questions markedly different than a few years ago when China's leaders appeared as an isolated and troubled regime following the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in 1989."

International Politics in Northeast Asia: The China-Japan-United States Strategic Triangle Dr Thomas L Wilborn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States has vital security and economic interests in Northeast Asia, one of the most dynamic regions of the world. This monograph focuses on the three bilateral relationships, those connecting China, Japan, and the United States to each other, which will dominate the future of the region. Dr. Thomas Wilborn analyzes these relations, taking into account key issues involving Taiwan and North Korea, and offers insights regarding their future course. He also reviews U.S. engagement policy and assesses the value of U.S. military presence for regional stability."

Strategic Plans, Joint Doctrine and Antipodean Insights Prof Douglas C Lovelace Jr, Dr Thomas-Durell Young Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This is the second in an analytical series on joint issues. It follows the authors’ U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Planning: The Missing Nexus, in which they articulated the need for more formal joint strategic plans. This essay examines the effect such plans would have on joint doctrine development and illustrates the potential benefits evident in Australian defense planning."

Strategic Implications of the U.S.-DPRK Framework Agreement Dr Thomas L Wilborn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed an unprecedented framework agreement in October 1994 to halt the latter’s nuclear weapons program, establish low-level diplomatic contacts between Washington and Pyongyang, and reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula. In this study, the author argues that it also places the United States, South Korea’s historic ally and partner with South Korea in the Combined Forces Command, in a new and unfamiliar role as mediator of conflict on the peninsula."

Energy, Economics, and Security in Central Asia: Russia and Its Rivals Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to the creation of five new states in Central Asia. These states: Kazkahstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, have become both the object of international rivalries in Central Asia and the sources of new political forces as they act to enlarge their independence in world politics. This monograph attempts to trace the importance of the new forces unleashed by the advent of these states by focusing on the struggle around energy and security issues involving them."

Security Cooperation with China: Analysis and a Proposal Dr Thomas L Wilborn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Relations between the United States and China reached their lowest point in almost 20 years when President Bush imposed sanctions on Beijing after the People's Liberation Army (PLA) indiscriminately fired at unarmed demonstrators and their supporters at Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. In the intervening years, some U.S. contacts, particularly trade, quickly attained or exceeded their pre Tiananmen level. However, until recently, the U.S Government resisted reestablishing formal security links."

Russian Policy and the Korean Crisis Dr Stephen J Blank Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The crisis ignited by North Korea's nuclear program affects Russia's vital interests. To understand Russian policy in this crisis, we must refer to both those vital geopolitical interests and to the contemporary and bitter domestic debate over Russian policy abroad."

The New Russia in the New Asia Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the past, Imperial and Soviet Russia played an active role in Asia. This is no less true for the current Russian republic. While Western analyses and policies may downplay Russia's presence in Asia, Russian leaders do not. In Asia, Russia exercises an important influence on regional developments. No less important is the way which policymakers in Moscow perceive their tasks and goals in Asia. These views will profoundly affect the further development of Russia's internal political, military, and economic structures."