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Articles by Ryan Claffey
The Philippines’ most overlooked China vulnerability is in its universities
On July 29, 2026, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum that foreign-linked educational exchanges deserved closer scrutiny, citing a SeaLight investigation that identified Jinan University as a major training site for Chinese-language teachers in Philippine schools.
Trump Is Linking Economic Investment With Military Alliances: Political Analyst
Derek Grossman from the University of Southern California, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, says Trump is most interested in making money off alliances, as the U.S. announces it will scale back from joint military drills with South Korea. He adds that once this pullback from the U.S. happens, it will be very difficult to redeploy troops to Asia, and would lead to questions about its commitment to the region. Watch the full interview on CNBC International.
Thwarting Communications Blackout
Executive Summary Control over the physical means of transmitting information—the lifeblood of modern societies—has become a central area of contestation between Taiwan and the United States on one side and China on the other. Both Beijing and Taipei view information and communication networks as vital, perhaps decisive, aspects of a cross–Taiwan Strait contest.
U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Cooperation
Executive Summary Growing challenges from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) massive military modernization, rapid technological advancement, and coercive military activity throughout the Indo-Pacific require a more integrated and cohesive deterrence strategy from the United States and its alliance partners. Trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines is becoming increasingly important to shore up deterrence around Taiwan and in the South and East China Seas.
In Brief: Increasing Tensions Between China and Japan Create Risks for the Region
This article was originally published in War on the Rocks. China’s latest pressure campaign targeting Japan serves multiple purposes for Beijing. One is to redirect domestic political frustrations — currently economic stagnation and elite leadership turmoil — toward foreign forces. Japan provides a perennial target. Read the full article on War on the Rocks.
Congressional support key for sustaining momentum of US, UK, Australia partnership Original
Opinion>Opinions - National Security The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill by Lisa Curtis and Ryan Claffey, opinion contributors - 02/02/26 1:30 PM ET by Lisa Curtis and Ryan Claffey, opinion contributors - 02/02/26 1:30 PM ET Share LinkedIn Email Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey, right, speaks as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minster and Defense Minister Richard Marles, center, listen on the sidelines of...
Congressional Support Key for Sustaining Momentum of U.S., UK, Australia Partnership
This article was originally published on The Hill. The fiscal 2026 defense appropriations bill which will be voted on by the House this week allocates $27.2 billion for naval shipbuilding, including funding for one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines.
Chinese Maker of Bitcoin-Mining Machines Is a Security Threat, Says Expert
Bloomberg News reports that a Chinese manufacturer, Bitmain Technologies Ltd, that sells most of the world’s Bitcoin-mining machines — including 16,000 of them to a venture backed by two of President Donald Trump’s sons — has been the focus of a months-long federal investigation to assess whether its products pose risks to US national security. David Feith, CNAS adjunct senior fellow, joins "Bloomberg Crypto". He says “Bitmain has been a screaming challenge on national security grounds".
Sharper: Tech + China
Recent talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping placed a spotlight on emerging technologies, from high-end chips to minerals key to advanced manufacturing. In this edition of Sharper, CNAS experts explore how the competition between the United States and China manifests in the tech domain, including China’s Digital Silk Road, countering cyber aggression, and more.
Thailand-Cambodia Border Agreement on Shaky Ground
This article was originally published on the East Asia Forum. On 26 October 2025, US President Donald Trump presided over Cambodia and Thailand’s signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord — a joint declaration expanding the 28 July ceasefire, which halted the bloodiest Thailand–Cambodia border conflict in over a decade.
Thailand-Cambodia border agreement on shaky ground
On 26 October 2025, US President Donald Trump presided over Cambodia and Thailand’s signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord — a joint declaration expanding the 28 July ceasefire, which halted the bloodiest Thailand–Cambodia border conflict in over a decade. Yet on 11 November, the Thai National Security Council approved a temporary suspension of the accord, suggesting that a more permanent peace will require more than just a tariff-enabled truce.
North Korea Hardens Posture as Allies Recalibrate Before APEC
With President Trump set to attend the APEC summit in Gyeongju, questions are resurfacing about a possible return to U.S.–North Korea diplomacy. No working-level talks are underway, but Kim Jong-un has opened the door, if Washington drops what he calls its “fantasy of denuclearization.” At the same time, Pyongyang is drawing closer to Moscow, and South Korea is stepping up its own military posture.
Sharper: India and the Quad
Features CNAS Insights | Mr. President, You Are Losing India The bilateral relationship between the United States and India is critical for the future stability of the Indo-Pacific, especially as the United States seeks to counter rising aggression from Russia, China, and the Axis of Upheaval. However, CNAS experts Lisa Curtis and Richard Fontaine warn that on its current path, the Trump administration risks permanently alienating India, setting New Delhi on a trajectory towards Beijing.
Japan’s Iron Lady: A Prime Minister for the Trump Era?
Takaichi inherits a precarious LDP minority government. Her relationship with Trump may prove decisive. Subscribe for ads-free reading A protégé of Abe Shinzo, newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Takaichi Sanae inherits her mentor’s approach to social, economic, and foreign policy.
How the US should push the Quad-Plus to protect undersea cables
Subsea cables facilitate the flow of over 99 percent of global internet traffic and $10 trillion in daily financial transactions. They are the unseen arteries of intercontinental communication and commerce—the physical manifestation of the internet. And right now, they’re under attack.
Xi, Putin, Kim Project United Front in China
Richard Fontaine, chief executive officer at the Center for a New American Security, joins BBC to discuss the Axis of Upheaval and the level of concern from the Trump administration. Watch the full interview on BBC. Podcast Transatlantic Security Ukraine Negotiations: Europe’s Perspective and the Next Steps This week, we continue our assessment of the Trump-Putin and Trump-Zelensky meetings in August. European leaders can take solace in the fact that their presence at the Washing...
Quad: The Next Phase
Executive Summary The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) among the United States, Australia, India, and Japan is becoming the focal point for economic and technological cooperation in the Indo-Pacific as the competition between the United States and China intensifies and regional power dynamics continue to evolve.
New CNAS Report on Next Phase of Quad Cooperation in Indo-Pacific
Washington, June 18, 2025 — Today, the Center for a New American Security released a new report, Quad: The Next Phase, by Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart, Ryan Claffey, Keerthi Martyn, and Thomas Corel. The report assesses the evolution of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, and offers recommendations for how the group can expand and sharpen its cooperation as great power competition intensifies.
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