ASIA & THE PACIFIC :

See also Afghanistan and Pakistan.

New York Times, 03 Jun 11, by Thom Shanker
U.S. Won’t Become Isolationist, Gates Tells Worried Asian Leaders
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pledged Saturday that the United States would sustain its military presence and diplomatic involvement in Asia, as he sought to calm regional worries about the potential for a new isolationism brought on by fiscal difficulties at home.'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 11, by Ralph Jennings
Hard up for arms sales, Taiwan turns to its own defenses
'The development in Taiwan’s weapons industry advances its long-term goal of greater military self-sufficiency as the US waffles under pressure from China on whether to continue selling advanced weapons to the island as it has done for decades.'

New York Times, 25 Apr 11, by Michael Wines
Chinese State Media, in a Show of Openness, Print Jet Photos
'The J-15 Flying Shark is China’s newest attack jet ... It is indisputable evidence of China’s growing mastery of military technology.'

Reuters, 12 Apr 11, by Chris Buckley
China crackdown driven by fears of a broad conspiracy
'... China's security forces see dissidents and protesters ... as players in a plot to topple the Communist Party, a fear that is magnifying Beijing's hard crackdown on dissent.'

New York Times, 31 Mar 11, by Edward Wong and Jonathan Ansfield
China Lays Out Vision for Military
'The military’s vision was laid out in a national defense white paper, a document published every two years since 1998. The paper tried to walk a line between trumpeting the modernization efforts of the Chinese military and assuaging the fears of foreign governments and analysts that the fast-growing People’s Liberation Army would be used for expansionist purposes or regional dominance.'

Washington Post, 23 Feb 11, by Keith B. Richburg
China clamping down to prevent Mideast-style protests
'... Chinese authorities appear to be watching closely for signs of unrest. Last weekend, President Hu Jintao called an extraordinary urgent meeting at the Central Party School to urge his provincial- and ministerial-level colleagues to be mindful of "social conflict" brewing in Chinese society.'

New York Times, 10 Feb 11, by Lydia Polgreen and J. David Goodman
India and Pakistan Agree to Renew Peace Talks
'The agreement ... appeared to set the stage for high-level, open-ended and wide-ranging talks on a variety of contentious issues from counterterrorism to improving economic relations.'

Washington Post, 31 Jan 11, by Andrew Higgins and Keith B. Richburg
China mulls impact of Mideast uprisings
'Could the popular revolt against authoritarian regimes of the Middle East ever spread to China, the world's most populous nation? And if so, does the United States have a policy to deal with it?'

Reuter, 31 Jan 11, by Jeremy Laurence
Q+A - Is North Korea's nuclear programme a threat?
'South Korea has proposed bilateral nuclear talks with the isolated North, as Seoul seeks to gauge Pyongyang's sincerity about giving up its nuclear weapons programme in line with past international agreements. The North has yet to respond to Seoul's request.'

Washington Post, 31 Jan 11, by Chico Harlan
U.N. report suggests N. Korea has secret nuclear sites
'The report, prepared for the U.N. Security Council, reinforces a widely held belief within the Obama administration that North Korea has constructed a network of nuclear sites beyond its Yongbyon plant ...'

See Asia and the Pacific archive for past stories.