The End of the American era?

China

When linked together, these two articles explain some of the developments coming out of China:

US seeks to expand military presence in Asia

Chinese Missiles Could Close U.S. Bases in Attack, Report Says

China Seeks Military Capabilities Beyond Its Region, U.S. Says

Interesting article... it should have talked about other commodities besides oil though... How is the world going to feed 8 billion people? The answer to that question will determine how many future wars are fought.

Obama Narrows the Range of Possible Targets in New National Nuclear-Weapons Policy

Bombs Away: The real reason why Russia and China aren’t interested in stopping Iran’s nuclear program.

China Suspends Military Exchanges With U.S.

The Dragon in the Hindu Kush

This article details China's policy towards, and interests in, Afghanistan. An excerpt:

Having another player in the contemporary Afghan "great game" is a cause for both hope and concern. Beijing has an interest in a stable and secure Afghanistan as it provides a safe environment in which to exploit resources. In the short term, it seems China will free ride on the provision of security by NATO and Kabul. For instance, security for the Aynak mine is provided by the American and Afghan militaries.

This may develop into more direct intervention if China feels its interests cannot be secured; it might also apply pressure on Pakistan to rein in extremist elements in the Afghan-Pakistan border area. This could improve the overall security situation while providing an opportunity for co-operation between Chinese and Western forces. In any case, the security dimension will undoubtedly become more important for China should it invest further in Afghanistan.

China fears India-Japan space alliance

One more interesting take on U.S. grand strategy with regards to Asia. Very soon we will see what the Obama administration will do.

"China is concerned about the general effort of the US during the Bush Administration to form a Japanese-Indian alliance to contain China," said Dr Gregory Kulacki, senior analyst and China project manager at the Massachusetts-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

"They are more concerned about what this implies about US intentions rather than what it implies about the intentions of the Japanese or the Indians, particularly as it concerns space."

Georgia accuses Russia of waging 'cyber war'

Georgia's accusations come on the heels of Estonia's accusations from May 2007. Obviously, cyber war is going to be a major part of any conflict in the future and will be used to degrade communications. These facts combined with millions of cyber attacks waged on the United States by China each day highlight another American achilles heel now that we seem to be getting a little better at counterinsurgency... perhaps we should spend more on cyber war defensive and offensive measures, rather than Star Wars or the Joint Strike Fighter pictured above.

UPDATE (August 13, 2008): Before the Gunfire, Cyberattacks