Here’s this week’s collection of new articles and reports in the defence, strategy and security world for your reading pleasure and some events to attend.

Articles and reports

If you’re interested in the changing nature of warfare, there are two 2012 issues of the Red Cross’ International Humanitarian Law magazine for you. The first features an article on autonomous robots and the automation of warfare (PDF) and the second includes one on state control over private military and security companies (PDF).

There’s been much coverage of China’s new passport that shows disputed areas of the South China Sea as belonging to China. But here’s an author who analyses the Chinese dotted line that appears in the passport from a legal perspective.

Now that the Global War on Terror is seemingly over, the team at Danger Room have a piece on what the end might look like.

And before we get too excited about the effects of social media on warfare, Nathan Cohen’s new RSIS paper casts doubt on its impact (PDF) during recent violence between Israel and Hamas.

Events

Canberra readers, Hugh White will be giving a public lecture at ANU’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre on the prospects and risks of an alliance between Australia and Japan, Tuesday 11 December a 5.30pm. He’ll also be launching the accompanying Centre of Gravity policy paper at the event.

Meanwhile, Clive Williams will be speaking about the causes and implications of ‘green on blue’ attacks in Afghanistan at ANU, Tuesday 11 December at 6pm.

Finally, there’ll be two talks on China’s new leadership at ANU next week. The first is a four-member expert panel on Thursday 13 December at 2.30pm and the second is by Professor Baogang He of Deakin University on Friday 14 December at 10am.