Analysis
Pieces
DECODING: $282 billion, between rhetoric and reality
A single figure, $282 billion, now serves as shorthand for describing Chinese military ambition in 2026. But this shorthand, as is often the case…
ANALYSIS: Seven nations, one message to Beijing
Seventeen thousand troops, seven nations, one implicit message aimed at Beijing: that is the first takeaway from the Balikatan 2026 exercise, held in the…
FACT CHECK: Two new Type 055 destroyers for the Chinese navy, a strategic reading
In early 2026, according to IDSA, the Chinese navy commissioned two new Type 055-class destroyers, the Dongguan and the Anqing.
DECODING: What the Taiwan Strait reveals about the balance of power underway
Through May 2026, an average of five Chinese warplanes a day crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a count reported…
ANALYSIS: China's military budget slows down, one week later — the tally
On March 10, 2026, Beijing set its 2026 defense budget at 1.94 trillion yuan, roughly 282 billion dollars, according to figures reported by Reuters.
FACT CHECK: decoding Philippine fishermen versus Chinese coast guard in three parts
Ten years after an international arbitral ruling favorable to the Philippines, Philippine fishermen still say they are being driven away from Scarborough Shoal, according…
DECODING: why the American MATCH Act targets Chinese chipmaking machines
An acronym can sometimes carry more geopolitical weight than ten official statements. The MATCH Act, proposed in Washington, seeks to restrict exports of semiconductor…
ANALYSIS: Balikatan 2026 in five numbers
Some military exercises pass unnoticed, and then there is Balikatan. In 2026, this joint maneuver between the Philippines and the United States took on…
FACT CHECK: Manila sanctioned — the questions few outlets are asking
On June 11, 2026, China barred the Philippine defense minister, Gilberto Teodoro, from entering its territory, according to Al Jazeera.