Andrew S. Erickson

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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“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 […]

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Andrew S. Erickson, “CMSI Conference: Probing the People of China’s Navy and Other Maritime Forces,” The Bridge (Naval War College Foundation) (Fall/Winter 2025): 22–26.

The Fall/Winter 2025 issue of The Bridge features letters from RDML A.B. Cruz III, USN (Ret.), Chairman of the Naval War College Foundation (NWCF); CAPT George E. Lang Jr., USN (Ret.), NWCF […]

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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 […]

Continue Reading

Du Bo and Wang Chenyuan, “Uphold the Idea of a Maritime Community with a Shared Destiny and Forge a New Chapter in Maritime Military Security Cooperation,” CMSI Translation 28 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 24 March 2026).

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From CMSI Director CAPT Christopher H. Sharman, USN (Ret.):
China Navy […]

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