Successive white papers shed light on national leaders’ approach to reunification with Taiwan. All explain and respond to critics, emphasizing a policy of peaceful reunification and the implementation of the one country, two systems concept.

The most recent white paper released by the Chinese government signals its explicit intentions to build up the PLA transparently and install it as a force for global peace-keeping, not military hegemony.

Labeling China and Russia revisionist powers is a declaration of a new Cold War.

China’s recent military reforms aim to make the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) a more efficient and effective combat force. They will probably succeed in making at least some progress in these areas. What they do not do is suggest a fundamentally more aggressive or militant Chinese foreign policy—Beijing’s national security strategy remains constant even as the PLA is in flux.

The budget shows that Beijing views the region with optimism, as defense expenditure is the best indicator of a country’s security assessment. China’s lower budget reflects her belief that in spite of the spread of terrorism, exodus of refugees, tension on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea, the world is not in a state of disorder.

While the legislation is used as a policy tool by the US and occasionally even China, its strategy has been overtaken by events. The act is out of date, impractical and prevents bilateral relations from developing on an even footing with more mutual trust.

President Xi Jinping announced China would cut the number of its troops by 300,000 while addressing the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of WWII on Sept. 3. The large troop cut in the People's Liberation Army, the 11th of its kind since the founding of New China in 1949, shows the country's sincerity and determination to follow a peaceful development path.

The new Pentagon strategy is a throw-back to Cold War thinking and contrary to the world view of America’s founding fathers. It may pose a new barrier to developing new major-power relations in a multi-polar world, unless all sides seek a cooperative approach.

While many in the international community continue to question the United States’ commitment to its Asian allies, Benjamin Friedman analyzes the current state of the U.S. Department of Defense and lays out five reasons why the U.S. will continue to dominate the Asia-Pacific region.

For the Chinese military to become more transparent, the west needs to convince China that their intentions are not ill and, above all, win trust from China, writes Zhou Bo.