Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 19, 2016

The People's Republic of China flag and the U.S. Stars and Stripes fly along Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol in Washington during Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit, January 18, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Hyungwon Kang

Peter Ford, CSM: How underwater drone could set tone for Trump's new relationship with China

The seizing by Chinese sailors of a US underwater surveillance drone in the South China Sea speaks to the kind of challenge President-elect Trump is likely to face early in his administration.

It is not customary to steal an item from someone and then give it back as a Christmas gift, but that is what the Chinese are doing to the United States. And Beijing is acting as if it were the aggrieved party.

Last Thursday, Chinese sailors snatched a US underwater surveillance drone that the USNS Bowditch was trying to retrieve from waters in the South China Sea.

It marked “the first example ever of the blatant theft of US military property operating in international waters,” says Ashley Townshend, an international security expert at the University of Sydney.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 19, 2016

Five Things to Worry About After the Assassination of Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey -- Robbie Gramer and Emily Tamkin, The Cable/Foreign Policy

The Fall of Aleppo Is a Huge Gift to ISIS -- Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, Daily Beast

There's more propaganda than news coming out of Aleppo this week -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

Turkey and Iran’s Dangerous Collision Course -- ALi Vaez, NYT

Why America was bound to fail in Syria -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Israel watches Syria warily -- Miriam Dagan, DW

Why Is China Playing Hardball With Singapore? -- Lieke Bos, The Diplomat

Asia’s fight over fresh water -- Brahma Chellaney, Japan Times

Libya still broken one year on -- Rana Jawad, BBC

Five things to know about vast, divided, unruly DRCongo -- AFP

Trudeau's real problem: Pretending he's above money grubbing -- Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail

Here’s how Obama can hit back at Putin over hacking -- Time Weiner, Reuters

Why Naming and Shaming Won’t Stop Putin -- Thomas Rid, Daily Beast

Regrets on Russia, Syria, or Iran? Obama Has None -- Anne Jolis, The Spectator

The Trump World Order -- Bloomberg Editorial