By: John W. Parks Following recent industrial trends, China has begun the expansion of an innovative market into the Central Asian region. Kazakh Invest, a nationalized investment company of Kazakhstan, signed agreements with two Chinese drone producers to build manufacturing hubs in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. As of January 2025, Yesil Technology Company and... Continue Reading →
By John W. Parks As war in Ukraine continues to damage Russia’s credibility and economic security, other Eurasian producers have been forced to utilize alternative avenues of trade. In response, China, along with Turkey, the European Union, and Central Asian states have dedicated increasingly more resources to the development and expansion of a bypass route.... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean The Philippine president signed two laws this past Friday reaffirming the country’s maritime claims and resource extraction rights in the South China Sea. Amidst China’s growing aggression in the regional, especially towards the Philippines this past year, this marks a crucial moment of emphasizing international rules-based order and law. During a nationally... Continue Reading →
By John W. Parks Thinking of Central Asia as a roundabout, or a master key, or a distribution hub of global trade infrastructure, could not be any more correct. China, Iran, and the United States have recently ramped up their initiatives to include the Central Asian states in trade partnerships. Though the Great Powers have... Continue Reading →
By Matthew Grace With the influx of 10,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia of which 8,000 are amassing near the Kursk region, Washington and South Korea “have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent further escalation.” This comes after the announcement of Ukraine’s intensions to draft another... Continue Reading →
By John W. Parks. Edited by Jose Miguel This year’s ISCNE Army War College wargaming scenario was held at the Patterson School October 4-5, 2024. The scenario was attended by students representing China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Issues regarding water resource and great power competition was at the heart of all negotiations.... Continue Reading →
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon A few days ago Turkey attended a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The significance of this is underline by Turkey’s bid to join the group, which would make it the first NATO country to do so. This maneuver does not necessarily imply that Turkey is shifting away from the West, although relations... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Laos this past week to discuss economic, political, and security development. Representatives and leaders attending this summit examined regional concerns such as the Myanmar civil war, cybersecurity capabilities, and free trade agreements. One of the major disputes concerning Southeast Asian nations is the... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Williams Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba raised the idea of an ‘Asian NATO’ to counter Chinese security challenges. Ishiba’s commentary with the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, highlighted Japanese leadership’s increasing defense posture within East Asia. Ishiba stated, “The absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Williams Last week China sent all three of its aircraft carriers to sea. The simultaneous sea deployment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) demonstrates the growing capabilities of Chinese seapower. The Liaoning sailed in the Philippines Sea while the Shandong operated near Hainan island. Both 60,000+ ton vessels operated with full carrier... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal of International Affairs 