Pulling the plug on Pyongyang

Posted by Matt in February 3rd, 2008 | no comment

In 2005, the president changed policy toward North Korea. After years of withholding tribute and applying pressure, he switched to accommodation. It has not worked. He should revitalize the alliance with Japan and the new South Korean government, and return to a policy of containment.
The failure of the current policy was spelled out by Jay [...]

The Strategic Realities of China’s No-First-Use Policy

Posted by Matt in February 3rd, 2008 | no comment

Published in China

Zhu’s remarks, which took place at an event for the international press in Beijing, caused a media stir, particularly in the United States and Taiwan. Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Gittings, who asked one of the questions that garnered the controversial response, wrote that “it was clear to those of us who witnessed [Zhu's] warning [...]

India: The secret undersea weapon

Posted by Matt in February 3rd, 2008 | no comment

Published in India, Nuclear, submarines

Located up the winding shipping channel in Visakhapatnam harbour is a secret, completely enclosed facility known only as the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC).
Inside this dry dock, nearly 50m below ground level, is a cylindrical black shape, which is as tall as a two-storey building and at 104 m in length, is longer than the Qutub Minar [...]

Europe should put a brake on Beijing’s excesses

Posted by Matt in February 3rd, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Europe

Last week, Hu Jia, one of the country’s leading human rights activists, was arrested and charged with subverting state power, his offence being to catalogue miscarriages of justice and post them on the internet. The truth of the reports is not in dispute; the crime is disseminating them. China incarcerates more journalists and shuts down [...]