Asia Pacific

China's Transition into the 21st Century: U.S. and PRC Perspectives Dr David Shambaugh, Senior Colonel Wang Zhongchun Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States is dealing with a complex and transitional political system in China. By some measures it is a strong, centralized, competent and decisive system. By others, it is a decentralized, weak, fragile, and decaying system. Understanding the nature of the transitions affecting the Chinese political system, the system's many complexities, and its strengths and weaknesses, is fundamental to fashioning an American strategy for dealing with China in the years to come. How China will behave on the world stage, whether it keeps its agreements with the United States and other nations, and its willingness to accept and uphold the norms and standards of international relations, all depend in no small part on the nature and evolution of China's political system and the officials that work in it."

India's Security Environment: Towards the Year 2000 Dr Raju G C Thomas Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In his presentation to the conference, Dr. Raju Thomas examined India's defense perspectives and prospects. From the standpoint of national security, India's post-independence history divides neatly into a turbulent first half, which included conflicts with China and Pakistan, and a relatively more stable period since 1971. That stability has been rattled by significant challenges (Kashmir, Sri Lanka, etc.), as Dr. Thomas points out. Five years ago, the collapse of the Soviet Union seemed to presage a more troubled era. Certainly, it caused as broad a reassessment of strategic policy in South Asia as elsewhere in the world."

China and the Revolution in Military Affairs Dr Bates Gill, LTC Lonnie Henley Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This paper is organized into four principal sections. The first section will introduce a framework for analysis by first broadly sketching the meaning of a revolution in military affairs (RMA) and offering general background points about China's relationship to past and current RMAs. The body of the paper consists of two principal sections which focus respectively on economic and socio-cultural factors and which affect China's capacity for change, innovation, and adaptability particularly in areas of activity critical to grasping the current RMA. A concluding section will assess how socio-cultural and economic factors will affect China's progress in grasping the current RMA in particular, and its military effectiveness overall."

The Invitation to Struggle: Executive and Legislative Competition over the U.S. Military Presence on the Korean Peninsula Dr William E Berry Jr Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The primary focus of this monograph is the ongoing debate between the executive and legislative branches of government in the United States concerning the American military presence in the Republic of Korea. It begins by examining the debate surrounding the ratification of the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953, and the Senate's decision to attach an "understanding" to that treaty. The Nixon and Carter administrations are particularly important because major efforts occurred in each to reduce the U.S. presence. In the case of the Nixon administration, the Congress was a major impetus to this reduction, whereas in the Carter administration, the Congress worked hard to impede Carter's troop withdrawal initiative. The reasons for this role reversal are very informative."

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."