Andrew S. Erickson

It’s always important to understand the context of strong quotations like the ones below. Sometimes essential factors are not captured initially, and things become clearer with time. But John Garnaut is an highly-experienced, extremely-reputable journalist and Dr. Shi Yinhong (时殷弘)’s views always merit close consideration. While he no doubt had to use his academic title […]

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Andrew S. Erickson and Michael S. Chase, “China’s Strategic Rocket Force: Sharpening the Sword (Part 1 of 2),” Jamestown China Brief 14.13 (3 July 2014).

The Second Artillery has made significant progress, particularly in modernizing its hardware, but also operations and training.
Its main mission remains deterrence, especially toward U.S. intervention in a regional conflict.
This deterrence mission increasingly […]

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Invitations aren’t everything: China’s navy (legally) monitored RIMPAC 2012 in the U.S. EEZ despite lacking invitation to do so, or to participate in the exercise itself.
DoD’s 2013 report on China’s military explains: “the PLA Navy has begun to conduct military activities within the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of other nations, without the permission of those coastal […]

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Robert Farley, “After China: The Proliferation of Cruise Missiles,” The Diplomat, 3 July 2014.
China may be demonstrating to its neighbors just how valuable cruise missiles can be.
The recent monograph by Dennis Gormley and Andrew Erickson on the development and relevance of China’s cruise missile force has received just acclaim from all quarters. Over the past two decades, […]

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Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Space Development History: A Comparison of the Rocket and Satellite Sectors,” Acta Astronautica (26 June 2014).
Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Highlights
• China’s first space achievements were in military/civilian rockets and satellites.
• Nuclear power status and deterrence required missiles to credibly deliver warheads.
• Satellites were also prioritized for strategic reasons and […]

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Andrew S. Erickson, “What Explains China’s Comprehensive but Uneven Aerospace Development?” in Christophe Rothmund, ed., Proceedings of the Forty-Third History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics, American Astronautical Society (AAS) History Series, Vol. 40 (San Diego, CA: Univelt, 2013), 55-63.
With respect to aerospace development capabilities, China is changing from a developing country whose leaders prioritized […]

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Natalie Sambhi and Nicole Yeo, “Beyond RIMPAC: 3 Ways to Engage China on Security,” The Diplomat, 2 July 2014.
… 1. Using “Non-Aligned” Countries As Conduits
Given recent tensions in the South China Sea, it is imperative that ASEAN members explore creative options to engage China as well, including through military exercises. …as an Asian Pacific power, the […]

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Hagel Welcomes Japan’s New Collective Self-defense Policy
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today welcomed the Japanese government’s new policy regarding collective self-defense, saying it will enable the Japan Self-Defense Forces to engage in a wider range of operations and make the U.S.-Japan alliance even more effective.
In a reinterpretation […]

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Adam Liff, “Japan’s Article 9 Challenge,” The National Interest, 27 June 2014.
Throughout the postwar period, the Government of Japan’s (GOJ) definition and interpretation of collective self-defense and Article 9 of Japan’s constitution have played a crucial role in how its leaders develop and employ military power. This issue also has had significant implications for its […]

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The Public Intellectuals Program (PIP), a flagship program of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), just received a generous two-year grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York that will fund a fourth round of the program. Additional information about PIP, and a call for applications, is available on NCUSCR’s website.
Application deadline: 1 August 2014
PIP, founded […]

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Congressman J. Randy Forbes, “China. There, I said it. (Part II),” CSIS PacNet 47 (25 June 2014).
… If Congress is going to be asked to marshal the resources to sustain its enduring interests in the Asia-Pacific region — including a balance of military power that favors the US and its allies — I contended that […]

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Andrea Ghiselli, “Could Iraq Be Another Libya for China?” The Diplomat, 24 June 2014.
The crisis in Iraq again reveals the costs of China’s low military profile in the region.
On June 13, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying declared that China is closely watching the events unfolding in Iraq and paying special attention to the protection of Chinese […]

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Ronald O’Rourke, China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 5 June 2014), RL33153.
Summary
China is building a modern and regionally powerful Navy with a modest but growing capability for conducting operations beyond China’s near-seas region. The question of how the United States should respond to China’s military modernization effort, including its […]

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Bradley Perrett, “Chinese Cruise Missile Capabilities Flying Under Radar,” Aviation Week, 10 June 2014.
If China wants to be able to ward off U.S. military intervention in an East Asian dispute, then it needs to be able to hold U.S. ships and bases at risk. In the past few years, much attention has focused on the […]

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It is quite significant to see the New York Times become this concerned. Since simply asking Beijing to adhere to the spirit of the 2002 declaration is unlikely to have substantive effect, I hope that the Editorial Board will follow up with some practical suggestions for U.S. policy, including bolstering domestic support for trade agreements, […]

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Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer, “Is This a Model of China’s Next Aircraft Carrier?” Eastern Arsenal Blog, Popular Science, 17 June 2014.
Photos of a potential new Chinese aircraft carrier class have surfaced this month at the Dalian Naval Exhibition Center. The photos depict a large carrier that would give China the type of large strike […]

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Yao Jianing, ed., “Chinese Navy’s First Participation in RIMPAC Exercise Draws International Attention,” China Military Online, 19 June 2014.
BEIJING, June 19 (ChinaMil) — The vessels of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy  to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 multinational military exercise joined the U.S. and Singaporean naval vessels in the northern […]

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In this difficult time for Sino-American relations, in which statements often contain far more heat than light, Prof. Zha offers a constructive, balanced perspective–typical of his commitment to seeking truth from facts as a scholar, rather than engaging in the sort of one-sided sloganeering that has become all too prevalent. Thanks to Prof. Avery Goldstein for […]

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Andrew S. Erickson, “A Work in Progress: China’s Development of Carrier Strike,” Jane’s Navy International, 19 June 2014.
Professor Andrew Erickson reviews China’s strategic goals and the military capabilities it must master as it seeks to generate the strike power that is central to the effectiveness of a modern, advanced aircraft carrier force
A core element of […]

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