China's rapid development is reshaping the world in all dimensions. Chinese language open sources offer insights into these critical trends. While such materials are increasing constantly in number, diversity, and sophistication, only a fraction is available in English. The analyses available here, many based on sources not previously considered outside China, are designed to help bridge that gap--and thereby increase understanding of the most dynamic great power in the international system today.
China’s successful 6 July 2026 launch into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone appears to be its first publicly acknowledged long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) flight from a submarine since the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s successful 12 October 1982 JL-1 developmental launch from the Type 031 (Golf-class) trials submarine Great Wall (Changcheng) 200.
My 83-page […]
Ryan D. Martinson, “The New Normal East of Taiwan,” CMSI Note 21 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 6 July 2026).
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From CMSI Director CAPT Christopher Sharman, USN (Ret.):
China Military Maritime Watchers: Has the PRC quietly established a “New Normal” east of Taiwan?
On 4 July, two […]
Yue Zhiqiang, Wang Li, and Li Jinqiao, “The U.S. Marine Corps Concept for ‘Stand-In Forces’—Analysis and Response,” CMSI Translation 32 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 6 July 2026).
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From CMSI Director CAPT Christopher H. Sharman, USN (Ret.):
China Military Maritime Watchers: What do PLA authors publishing in […]
Follow the latest developments in China’s growing nuclear-powered submarine force (pp. 20–22) and beyond with this new edition of “Modern Chinese Maritime Forces,” the most comprehensive open source PRC sea services inventory!
As we gallop through the Year of the Fire Horse (火马年), China under Xi is steaming full speed ahead, particularly at sea. Navigate troubled […]
Andrew S. Erickson, review of Xiaobing Li, China’s Mahan: Admiral Liu Huaqing and the Rise of the Modern Chinese Navy (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2026); in The China Quarterly (2026). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741026102471
A renowned and prolific historian of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Xiaobing Li once again delivers a uniquely illuminating account, this time with […]
Joshua Arostegui, Loading the Well Deck: The PLA Navy’s Maturing Role in Projecting Joint Ground Forces, China Maritime Report 55 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 24 June 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China PLA Watchers: Can the PLA project joint combat power across Southeast Asia and […]
Nan Xiang, Xie Lu, and Zhi Xi, “Joint Air and Missile Defense Operations in the Maritime Domain Must Emphasize and Strengthen the ‘Four Joint Functions’,” CMSI Translation 31 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 22 June 2026).
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From CMSI Director CAPT Christopher H. Sharman, USN (Ret.):
China Navy […]
Jason Wang, Marvin Bernardo, Pei-Jhen Wu, and Andrew S. Erickson, “China Is Rehearsing More Than Amphibious Landings,” Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC), 15 June 2026.
China Is Rehearsing More Than Amphibious Landings
For years, the public debate over a possible Chinese Communist invasion of Taiwan has focused on a single question: Does the People’s Liberation Army […]
From Xi to the Sea! China’s Paramount Leader is a Navy Lobby of One!
Ryan D. Martinson, Chairman Xi’s Navy, China Maritime Report 54 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 2 June 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Navy Watchers: How much of China’s Navy (the PLAN’s) rise […]
Great new job opportunity at the Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI)! Apply now to join a leading collegial team that publishes cutting-edge research to inform the Navy and engage the Nation!
Complete application information at USAJOBS!
History of CMSI and 20th anniversary of its establishment within the Center for Naval Warfare Studies (CNWS).
History of […]
Erin Richter and Joshua Arostegui, Filling the Ranks: China’s Military Recruiting System and the PLA Navy, China Maritime Report 53 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 6 May 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Navy Watchers: As China’s Navy (PLAN) expands into a more technologically advanced force, […]
Strategic (Power) Projection and Operational Sustainment: Perspectives on Naval Support Systems, CMSI Quarterly Review 1.5 (May 2026) (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 5 May 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Military Maritime Watchers: How do Chinese authors assess China’s own capabilities to support its Navy […]
Yin He, “Vision for Future Next-Generation Aircraft Carrier Supply Ships,” CMSI Translation 30 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 29 April 2026).
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From CMSI Director CAPT Christopher H. Sharman, USN (Ret.):
China Navy Watchers: How is the PLA Navy (PLAN) thinking about sustaining its fleet operating in the far […]
Jason Wang, Marvin Hamor Bernardo, Pei-Jhen Wu, and Andrew S. Erickson, Everything Everywhere All At Once: The Growing Complexity of PLA Amphibious Exercises, China Maritime Report 52 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 22 April 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Military Maritime Watchers: This is the […]
Fascinating to see how PLA Navy experts view U.S. wargaming: “the Naval War College organizes students into red and blue teams to engage in adversarial exercises. Through these dynamic simulations, students gain an understanding of the interrelationships among specialized technical details—such as the range of the [SM-2 (Standard Missile-2)] and the performance of the E-2D […]
Great news—thanks to our loyal readers! Honored to see that CMSI has contributed 6 of the Naval War College’s top 10 most popular publications, with two great offerings by Prof. Ian Easton, as well as inputs from Prof. Ryan Martinson, Director Chris Sharman, and CMSI Affiliate Conor Kennedy.
#1, the just-released Spring issue of the CMSI Quarterly […]
CMSI Quarterly Review 1.4 (Spring 2026) (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 16 April 2026).
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From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Military Maritime Watchers: Check out the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI)’s Spring Quarterly Review.
The Spring issue of the CMSI Quarterly Review highlights CMSI’s latest scholarship, media […]
Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Naval Advancement under Xi: Narrowing Gaps in Human Capacity,” Marine & Océans Magazine 287 (June 2025): 2–5.
Dr. Andrew S. Erickson is Professor of Strategy (tenured full professor) in the U.S. Naval War College (NWC)’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI). A core founding member, he helped establish CMSI and stand it up […]
“Maritime Security in the South China Sea: U.S. and Philippine Perspectives,” Panel 3 at Harvard Asia Law Conference II, Wasserstein Hall, Harvard Law School, 2 April 2026.
Maritime Security in the South China Sea: US and Philippine Perspectives
Thurs, April 2 | 10:30-11:30am | WCC B010
This panel examines the legal and strategic dimensions of maritime security in […]
Chinese Undersea Warfare: Development, Capabilities, Trends
Maritime Gray Zone Operations: Challenges and Countermeasures in the Indo-Pacific
Oxford Bibliography: “The People’s Liberation Army (PLA)”
China’s Climate Cooperation Smokescreen: A Roadmap for Seeing Through the Trap and Countering with Competition
Large-Scale Amphibious Warfare in Chinese Military Strategy
Rebalancing U.S. Forces: Basing and Forward Presence in the Asia-Pacific
China’s Near Seas Combat Capabilities
Chinese Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) Development: Drivers, Trajectories and Strategic Implications
Asia’s Rising Energy and Resource Nationalism: Implications for the United States, China, and the Asia-Pacific Region
Chinese Aerospace Power: Evolving Maritime Roles
China’s S-Curve Trajectory: Structural Factors Will Likely Slow the Growth of China’s Economy and Comprehensive National Power
China, the United States, and 21st-Century Sea Power: Defining a Maritime Security Partnership
China Goes to Sea: Maritime Transformation in Comparative Historical Perspective
China’s Energy Strategy: The Impact on Bejing’s Maritime Policies
China’s Future Nuclear Submarine Force
Chinese Mine Warfare: A PLA Navy 'Assassin’s Mace' Capability
China’s Nuclear Force Modernization
