2012-12-30 By Richard Weitz “Today, only Russia and China have the capability to conduct a large-scale ballistic missile attack on the territory of the United States, but this is very unlikely and not the focus of U.S. BMD,” the 2010 U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Review explains. “Both Russia and China have…
2012-12-23 by Richard Weitz Ballistic missile defenses (BMD) are an urgent acquisition and development capability for South Korea. North Korea’s Artillery Guidance Bureau controlling some 800 mobile ballistic missiles poses a direct threat to the country. South Korea’s independent system for intercepting short- to medium-range ballistic missile, consisting of Patriot PAC-3…
2012-12-23 by Richard Weitz In South Korea’s 18th presidential election, held on December 19, Park Geun-hye of the governing Saenuri (New Frontier) Party defeated Moon Jae-in of the opposition Democratic United Party. Park’s inauguration is scheduled for February 25, when she will succeed President Lee Myung-bak. Park faces many domestic and…
2012-12-21 by Richard McCormack A substantial percentage of companies that specialize in the space industry are on the brink of extinction. According to the initial findings of an industry survey conducted by the federal government of 1,087 companies in the space supply chain, 38 percent said they would be insolvent…
2012-12-21 by Richard Weitz As soon as North Korea had announced its plans to launch another nuclear test, Chinese officials had expressed “deep concern” and had dispatched a senior official to lobby against the test on behalf of the new Chinese leadership headed by Xi Jinping. Although Pyongyang ignored these warnings,…
2012-12-20 by Richard McCormack The Chinese government is setting up shop in America’s back yard. Chinese state owned enterprises are pumping billions of dollars of direct investment into energy and mining projects in Latin America in “an attempt to strengthen aspects of its economy considered to be strategic in the long…
2012-12-18 by Richard Weitz Yesterday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China experts Andrew J. Nathan and Andrew Scobell presented some of the themes in their new book entitled China’s Search for Security (Columbia University Press, 2012). Their articles in Foreign Affairs and The Washington Quarterly repeat the same…
2012-12-19 By Richard Weitz The change in government in Japan offers an opportunity to move forward in re-shaping the US-Japanese Alliance. The Alliance has now a long history, but re-shaping the Alliance will be crucial in the period ahead, notably with the challenges from North Korea, the PRC and new regions…
