The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia. How is Beijing aiming to reshape the region?
English Summary
Chatham House argues that China’s expansion in Central Asia is not a linear success story but a contested process shaped by local resistance and regional power politics. The event framing points to grassroots protests, elite pushback, and Beijing’s need to adjust its economic and security approach, while Central Asian states actively hedge between China, Russia, the United States, the EU, and Turkey. It also highlights potential friction around China’s growing security role and asks whether renewed U.S. attention can translate into durable influence. For policymakers, the core implication is that strategy in Central Asia must account for local agency and competitive balancing dynamics, rather than assuming Beijing can unilaterally remake the region.
中文摘要
查塔姆研究所（Chatham House）指出，中國在中亞的擴張並非一條線性成功的敘事，而是一個受在地抵制與區域權力政治共同塑造的競逐過程。該活動的分析框架顯示，基層抗議、菁英層反制，以及北京必須調整其經濟與安全策略，皆為關鍵變數；同時，中亞國家也在中國、俄羅斯、美國、歐盟與土耳其之間主動採取避險平衡。文章亦強調，中國日益擴大的安全角色可能引發摩擦，並提出美國再度關注中亞是否能轉化為持久影響力的問題。對政策制定者而言，核心意涵是：中亞戰略必須納入在地能動性與競爭性平衡動態，而非假設北京可單方面重塑該區域。
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