Regional tensions in Asia have precipitously increased as disputes in the South China Sea continue to grow. While Zhai Kun notes that the current escalation is controllable, future conflicts cannot be ruled out.

Through an historical review of China’s various concepts of security, Zhai Kun formulates what should be the next version of China’s concept of security and delineates three key aspects of the new concept.

As time has progressed, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have proven to be enduring, and quite relevant. In addition to promoting this thesis, Yu Sui analyzes the various facets that make the Five Principles so appealing, as well as the opposition its proponents face.

Given the outcome of the recent Indian election, Ma Jiali discusses the implications of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership on Sino-Indian relations. Moreover, Jiali asserts that a logical step in Modi’s plan of reform is to strengthen ties with China. Jilai states that, due to China’s commitment to Sino-Indian relations in the past, a Sino-Indian partnership is indeed feasible.

As John Ciorciari and Jessica Chen Weiss explain, relations between China and Vietnam have plummeted to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War following a row over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

China’s 2014 “host diplomacy” provides the best opportunity for China to demonstrate its achievements in economic growth and its recent defense build-up, writes Jin Canrong and Kong Xihui.

As China’s foreign policy continues to develop, Shi Yinhong compares China’s previous policy priorities under President Hu Jintao with those of the current leadership, under President Xi Jinping, to determine what lies ahead.

Following the first year of the new Chinese leadership’s time in power, Zhai Kun examines why tensions in the Asia-Pacific continue to increase and what can be done to promote regional stability and development without endangering the current US-China relationship.

With the commanding in power of China’s new leadership in the March, China has unfolded its ambitious new diplomacy with amity, accommodation and principle, writes Shen Dingli.

The reform measures set forth at China’s recent Third Plenum will push the country’s leadership to pursue bilateral trade agreements and hard power capabilities will continue to be a top priority as consolidation of the foreign-policy making process is causing a polarization in China’s classification of “friends” and “enemies”.