Journal on World Affairs, UCLA
The Chinese Maritime Militia, dubbed the ‘little blue men’, signifies Beijing’s vision of a maritime ‘people’s war’ where civilian and military structures are integrated in a Maoist fashion that sees the social sphere as intimately connected to the military industrial complex.
In Pakistan, sectarianism and religious extremism not only run rampant, they are ingrained in social reality.
New Zealand acted early and aggressively, and it paid off. However, one subset of the population was hit especially hard: the Indigenous Māori community.
Contrary to the ambitions of neoliberal policies, a rapid transition towards free markets will not ensure economic efficiency. Instead, India’s government must revise the agricultural reforms to include safeguards against market volatility and protect local producers from exploitation by corporations.
The surge in saber-rattling suggests that Beijing will continue provoking Taipei using a gray zone strategy. While subversions of political systems and covert paramilitary operations have historic roots, China is using a new collection of tactics, notably in the cyber sector, that are challenging US and allied interests in novel ways.
On February 1st, the military of Myanmar, known as the Tatmadaw and led by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, staged a coup d’etat against the civilian government before sunrise.
Chinese energy expansion into hydropower leaves billions with the threat of water scarcity and places the Chinese government on an undisputed path towards regional hegemony.
Perhaps that tilt towards deeper and broader hostilities has arrived: it is reported that India recently deployed a warship in the highly contested South China Sea – a rare move for the South Asian nation. The decision highlights a widening battleground between India and China beyond their Himilayan border as the United States and regional actors grow increasingly wary of China’s rise.
Outer space has been called the “new frontier” since the 1960s, but today is being named the “new arena” for an arms race. With the United States, Russia, and China coming to a head in space weaponry and lacking cooperation on arms control treaties, the destruction of the “new frontier” amidst an arms race is increasingly likely
In the last several years, Turkic ethnic groups including the Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Uzbeks have been arrested arbitrarily and placed in “education” centers at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. While most prisoners are not formally convicted or charged with a crime, they share one characteristic in the eyes of the Chinese police: they are perceived to embody the threat of terrorism.
Journal on World Affairs, UCLA