Asia Pacific

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."

Japan's Self-Defense Forces: What Dangers to Northeast Asia? Dr Thomas L Wilborn Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This study examines Japan as a potential military power in the Asia-Pacific region, and tests the view held by many in the region that Japan could unleash its military and threaten the security of its neighbors. The conclusion is that Japan is not now and is not likely to become a military threat to East Asia, or anywhere else. In the first place, U.S. policy is to remain engaged, and retain a military presence, in the region. Most Asian observers agree that the U.S.-Japan alliance is a guarantor of a peaceful Japan; they worry about Japan because they mistakenly believe that America will "withdraw," and the alliance will lose its meaning."

Nuclear Pakistan and Nuclear India: Stable Deterrent or Proliferation Challenge? Dr George H Quester Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Nuclear proliferation, a security issue which has transcended the cold war, has been, and is, particularly troublesome in South Asia. There, India and Pakistan, neighbors with unresolved disputes since they were granted independence at the end of World War II, are believed to have nuclear weapons (although the leaders of both nations deny it) and are intermittently engaged in conflict with each other."

Maritime Stability Operations – China: Bullying Their Way Into the Arctic Michael Steiner (USN CAPT Ret) PKSOI Paper by US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "The US Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds approximately 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil which is about 13 percent of global estimates and 30 percent of the Earth’s undiscovered natural gas. This increase in regional shipping and resource mining may cause regional instability in the Arctic as China, Russia, and the United States and its Arctic State partners compete to ensure their interests are attended to in this newly marketable portion of the Arctic."