Archive | Journal Articles

18 December 2014

Beijing Projects Power through Cooperation, Intimidation

Andrew S. Erickson, “Beijing Projects Power through Cooperation, Intimidation,” Nikkei Asian Review, 18 December 2014.
China’s military development offers costs and benefits for its neighbors and the world. To understand why, look at two factors: technology and geography.
     In the contested “near seas” off China’s coast (the Yellow, East China, and South China seas), Beijing is […]

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06 December 2014

Have We Just Glimpsed China’s Vision of Future Aircraft Carrier Designs?

Andrew S. Erickson, “Asia Get Ready: Is This China’s Vision of Future Aircraft Carrier Designs?” The National Interest, 8 December 2014.
Originally published as: Andrew S. Erickson, “Have We Just Glimpsed China’s Vision of Future Aircraft Carrier Designs?” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国 (6 December 2014).
A high-caliber model manufacturer may just have provided a unique glimpse […]

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21 November 2014

China’s Growing Naval Capability: A View from the United States

Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Growing Naval Capability: A View from the United States,” Jane’s Navy International, 18 November 2014.
As China’s global maritime influence grows in seas both near and far from its shores, the one other naval power whose path it will cross in all such regions is the United States. Professor Andrew Erickson considers […]

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17 November 2014

China’s Blue Soft Power: Antipiracy, Engagement, and Image Enhancement

Andrew S. Erickson and Austin M. Strange, “China’s Blue Soft Power: Antipiracy, Engagement, and Image Enhancement,” Naval War College Review 68.1 (Winter 2015): 71–91.
Translated in traditional Chinese as:
艾瑞克森 [Andrew S. Erickson] 博士、史崔奇 [Austin M. Strange] 博士生; 譯者: 翟文中 (海軍備役上校) [Translation by Capt. CHAI Wen-Chung, ROC-N (Ret.)], “中國大陸的遠洋軟實力 打擊海盜、國際交往與形象提升(上)” [Mainland China’s Use of Blue Water Soft Power […]

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10 October 2014

Not-So-Empty Talk: The Danger of China’s “New Type of Great-Power Relations” Slogan

Words matter. Dr. Adam Liff and I offer recommendations for avoiding the real “great power” trap by seeking a responsible reset for U.S.-China relations.
Andrew S. Erickson and Adam P. Liff, “Not-So-Empty Talk: The Danger of China’s ‘New Type of Great-Power Relations’ Slogan,” Foreign Affairs, 9 October 2014.
In uncritically signing on to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “new type […]

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01 October 2014

A Potent Vector: Assessing Chinese Cruise Missile Developments

Dennis M. Gormley, Andrew S. Erickson, and Jingdong Yuan, “A Potent Vector: Assessing Chinese Cruise Missile Developments,” Joint Force Quarterly 75.4 (October 2014): 98-105.
The numerous, increasingly advanced cruise missiles being developed and deployed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have largely flown under the public’s radar. This article surveys PRC cruise missile programs and assesses […]

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23 September 2014

China’s Naval Modernization: The Implications of Seapower

Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Naval Modernization: The Implications of Seapower,” World Politics Review, 23 September 2014.

This month, the heads of the world’s navies and coast guards converged on the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, for the International Seapower Symposium (ISS). ISS assembles distinguished international naval leaders to enhance common bonds of friendship and to […]

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01 September 2014

China’s Space Development History: A Comparison of the Rocket and Satellite Sectors

This detailed history of China’s leading space sectors draws on and cites demonstrably authoritative Chinese-language sources previously unavailable in English.
Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Space Development History: A Comparison of the Rocket and Satellite Sectors,” Acta Astronautica 103 (October/November 2014): 142–67.
Click here for complete information on this issue of the journal.

U.S. Naval War College, United States
John King Fairbank Center […]

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28 July 2014

China’s RIMPAC Maritime-Surveillance Gambit

Andrew S. Erickson and Emily de La Bruyere, “China’s RIMPAC Maritime-Surveillance Gambit,” The National Interest, 29 July 2014.
Forty-nine ships from 22 countries, including China, are currently participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime training exercises off the coast of Hawaii. Submarines and aircraft have joined them. But last Friday, an electronic display map […]

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23 July 2014

China’s Space Development History: A Comparison of the Rocket and Satellite Sectors

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 lack of […]

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17 July 2014

China’s Strategic Rocket Force: Upgrading Hardware and Software (Part 2 of 2)

Andrew S. Erickson and Michael S. Chase, “China’s Strategic Rocket Force: Upgrading Hardware and Software (Part 2 of 2),” Jamestown China Brief 14.14 (17 July 2014).
Part One of this article covered the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Second Artillery Force’s (PLASAF) conventional arsenal and the “conventionalization of deterrence”—the creation of doctrines that rely on […]

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14 July 2014

Pandora’s Sandbox: China’s Island-Building Strategy in the South China Sea

Andrew S. Erickson and Austin M. Strange, “Pandora’s Sandbox: China’s Island-Building Strategy in the South China Sea,” Foreign Affairs, 13 July 2014.
Ongoing international disputes over territory in the South China Sea have led many to invoke an old adage: “When the facts are on your side, pound the facts. When the law is on your side, pound […]

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03 July 2014

China’s Strategic Rocket Force: Sharpening the Sword (Part 1 of 2)

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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02 July 2014

China’s RIMPAC Debut: What’s in It for America?

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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02 July 2014

China’s Space Development History: A Comparison of the Rocket and Satellite Sectors

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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19 June 2014

A Work in Progress: China’s Development of Carrier Strike

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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30 May 2014

Rising Tide, Dispersing Waves: Opportunities and Challenges for Chinese Seapower Development

Andrew S. Erickson, “Rising Tide, Dispersing Waves: Opportunities and Challenges for Chinese Seapower Development,” Journal of Strategic Studies 37.3 (Summer 2014): 1-31.
Abstract: This article surveys China’s current naval forces and considers key dynamics and possible Chinese naval futures to 2020, the projected end of Beijing’s ‘strategic window of opportunity’, the idea that a peaceful external […]

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11 May 2014

China’s Cruise Missiles: Flying Fast Under the Public’s Radar

Dennis Gormley, Andrew S. Erickson, and Jingdong Yuan, “China’s Cruise Missiles: Flying Fast Under the Public’s Radar,” The National Interest (12 May 2014).
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) numerous, increasingly advanced cruise missiles have attracted far less attention than its ballistic missiles—yet their impact on regional security, deterrence, and potential military operations may be similar […]

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10 May 2014

The Budget This Time: Taking the Measure of China’s Defense Spending

Andrew S. Erickson and Adam P. Liff, “The Budget This Time: Taking the Measure of China’s Defense Spending,” ASAN Forum 2.2 (March-April 2014).
1Early last month, China announced its projected 2014 defense budget of 808 billion yuan (roughly USD 132 billion), a 12.2 percent increase over the previous year. This continues the double-digit spending increases in […]

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