Andrew S. Erickson

Natalie Shen and Joel Wuthnow, The Silent Service: Assessing PLAN Influence in the Central Military Commission, China Maritime Report 56 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 15 July 2026).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Navy Watchers: China’s military has built the world’s largest navy—but the navy still […]

CMSI Quarterly Review 1.6 (Summer 2026) (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 14 July 2026).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF COPY.
From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) Friends and Colleagues –
We are pleased to share the summer issue of the CMSI Quarterly Review, highlighting the China Maritime Studies Institute’s latest scholarship, media […]

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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED COPY.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF.
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).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CACHED PDF COPY.
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 […]