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.
Russia, China Fly Joint Bomber Missions Near Japan, South Korea
English Summary
Russia and China conducted joint bomber patrols near Japan and South Korea's air defense identification zones (ADIZs), prompting scrambles of fighter jets and formal protests from Tokyo and Seoul. These flights are framed by Moscow and Beijing as routine military cooperation, but regional powers view them as escalating demonstrations of force that challenge established security norms in the region. The repeated joint exercises signal a continued deepening of Russia-China military integration and increase strategic competition, heightening tensions across the Indo-Pacific theater.
中文摘要
俄羅斯和中國在接近日本及韓國的空域識別區（ADIZ）進行了聯合轟炸機巡邏，引發了東京和首爾的戰鬥機緊急升空以及正式抗議。莫斯科和北京將這些飛行活動定性為例行軍事合作，但區域大國則視其為挑戰既有安全規範、不斷升級的武力展示。這些重複的聯合演習顯示出俄中軍事整合持續深化，並加劇了戰略競爭，從而提高了整個印太地區的緊張局勢。
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