As China has distanced itself from Syria in the last eighteen months. Joel Wuthnow believes that arguments that China is hedging its bets on Assad may be premature.

The PLA has been trying its best to meet its global commitments, while national defense is still a priority as disputes with neighboring countries have recently intensified, and China remains a divided country, writes Zhou Bo.

The tragic crisis in Syria is giving the world a glimpse of what a multilateral future might look like. Instead of going it alone, the United States has decided to compromise and work with other stakeholders in the international system.

The use of chemical weapons in Syria represents legacies of colonialism and Cold War. In the developed world, Russia’s diplomatic intervention has been seen as a step back. In reality, it heralds multipolar global governance.

The threat of war from the chemical weapons crisis in Syria has waned, but has not disappeared, writes He Wenping. The Putin initiative marked a high-profile return to the Middle East, indicating that Russia has become an important player in the region, and to some extent, a decision-maker.

If Syria successfully gives up its chemical weapons, a precedent will be created for successfully stopping military action, and a new model for major-country cooperation will be set, writes Wu Sike.

US military threats in Syria will further undermine the stability of the region, writes Jin Liangxiang. Though China might not be able to stop US actions, it undermines its intention for cooperation.

With the US military reaching out to establish a better military-to-military dialogue with China, Canada’s military initiatives should have a positive impact on US-China military relations, writes Hugh Stephens.

While unrealistic to expect the United State to suspend its arms sales to Taiwan, Liu suggests that the US and Chinese defense chiefs agree to build “a sustained, substantive military to military relationship” to bolster ties between the world’s two biggest economies.

Will Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win impact his decision to use military force against the Assad regime in Syria? Ma Jun examines the recent chemical weapon attack against civilians and the issues currently preventing the international community from supporting military action over diplomatic overtures.