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 Position on the Emerging Russia–North Korea Military Cooperation and Its Implications for the U.S.-ROK Alliance
English Summary
The RAND report argues that China views the deepening Russia–North Korea military cooperation with strategic ambivalence, primarily aiming to preserve its flexibility amid intensifying great-power competition. While Beijing may benefit from this partnership by diverting U.S. attention away from the Indo-Pacific, it simultaneously fears destabilization of the Korean Peninsula and potential loss of influence over Pyongyang. For the U.S.-ROK alliance, understanding China's complex position is critical: policymakers must avoid strategic overreach by assuming deep alignment with Moscow/Pyongyang, while also preventing gaps in deterrence planning due to underestimation.
中文摘要
《蘭德報告》指出，中國對俄羅斯與朝鮮日益深化的軍事合作抱持著戰略上的矛盾心態（strategic ambivalence），其主要目標是在大國競爭加劇的背景下，維持自身的靈活性。儘管北京可能從此夥伴關係中受益——例如將美國的注意力從印太地區轉移開來——但它同時也擔憂朝鮮半島的動盪以及對平壤影響力的潛在流失。對於美韓同盟而言，理解中國複雜的立場至關重要：政策制定者必須避免因假設與莫斯科/平壤深度結盟而進行戰略上的過度延伸（overreach），同時也要防止因低估其地位而在威懾規劃上產生漏洞。
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