Andrew S. Erickson

Julia M. Famularo, “‘Choose the Right Person, Choose the Right Path’: Taiwan’s Cross-Strait, National Security & Defense Policies Under a Lai/Hsiao Administration,” CMSI Note 3 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 19 January 2024).

From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:
While much has been written about last Saturday’s Presidential elections in Taiwan, few have dared […]

Andrew S. Erickson, “Tracking China’s ‘Little Blue Men’—A Comprehensive Maritime Militia Compendium,” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国, 17 January 2024.

American & Allied knowledge of the PRC’s Third Sea Force has come a long way since my outstanding Naval War College colleague Professor Conor Kennedy & I began our focused research following his arrival in Newport in […]

Andrew S. Erickson, “Xi’s Fast & Furious Nuclear Buildup & Beyond: Key Text from Pentagon’s 2023 China Military Power Report,” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国, 16 January 2024.

Office of the Secretary of Defense, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2023 (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, October 19, 2023).

Publication summarizing report’s […]

Christopher H. Sharman and Terry Hess, PLAN Submarine Training in the “New Era”, China Maritime Report 34 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, January 2024).

On the afternoon of June 11, 2018, PRC President and CMC Chairman, Xi Jinping climbed aboard a SHANG-class submarine in Qingdao. While aboard, he discussed submarine training with […]

As we enter 2024, China under Xi is steaming full speed ahead, particularly at sea. Navigate today’s troubled Indo-Pacific waters by consulting the latest version of Modern Chinese Maritime Forces—released today! This most recent iteration of the second edition includes sections for PLA Army (pp. 63–75) and PLA Air Force (pp. 76–78) watercraft; the latest […]

Andrew S. Erickson and Christopher H. Sharman, “Admiral Dong Jun Engages Friends and Foes: China’s First Naval Defense Minister Brings Joint Operational Experience,” CMSI Note 2 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 30 December 2023).

From CMSI Director Christopher Sharman:

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has a new leader – and he is a Navy guy!

On […]

Christopher H. Sharman and Andrew S. Erickson, “Admiral Hu to the Helm: China’s New Navy Commander Brings Operational Expertise,” CMSI Note 1 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, 27 December 2023).

Republished in The Maritime Executive. Click here to listen to this 13:16 “Top Story.”
Quoted by Radio Free Asia.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A FULL-TEXT […]

Honored to be cited regarding China’s “little blue men”/Maritime Militia. Importantly, tremendous credit is due to my CMSI colleagues. Among his many contributions, Conor Kennedy has pioneered pathbreaking research enabling U.S. Navy/Government understanding of this PRC Third Sea Force. Click here to read a compilation of his cutting-edge publications. And Ryan Martinson has contributed key […]

David C. Logan, China’s Sea-Based Nuclear Deterrent: Organizational, Operational, and Strategic Implications, China Maritime Report 33 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, December 2023).

About the Author
Dr. David C. Logan is Assistant Professor of Security Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. His research focuses on nuclear weapons, […]

This periodically-updated Library of Congress report is indispensable for policy-makers and analysts alike!

Ronald O’Rourke, U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas: Implications for U.S. Interests—Background and Issues for Congress, R42784 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 15 November 2023).
If you have trouble accessing the website above, please download a cached copy here.
You can also click here to access […]

Perfect timing following the 2023 Pentagon China Military Power Report’s long overdue, first-ever mention of the numerous, highly-impactful PCH191 (AKA PHL-16 close-range ballistic missile/CRBM): “The PLAA used its new PCH191 long-range rocket artillery system during live fire events along China’s east coast as a response to the U.S. CODEL in August 2022. The new long-range […]

Gabriel B. Collins and Andrew S. Erickson, Reaping the Whirlwind: How China’s Coercive Annexation of Taiwan Could Trigger Nuclear Proliferation in Asia and Beyond (Houston, TX: Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, 25 October 2023).
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL-TEXT PDF.

Five years ago — and certainly a decade ago — coercive annexation of Taiwan by the People’s […]

“Assessing U.S.-China Deterrence Dynamics & Crisis Management,” symposium hosted virtually by National Bureau of Asian Research, 11 October 2023.
Click here to watch the event on YouTube.

When Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing this June, his Chinese counterparts once again rejected an offer to establish a military line of communication between Washington and Beijing, an […]

The RAND Corporation is hiring two China-specific positions: a China researcher position for mid-career or senior researchers and a China analyst position for early career folks.
China Defense & Security Researcher (mid-career/senior position)

Position description
RAND advises a variety of national security clients, including a wide array of DoD organizations, U.S. allies and partners, and foundations, on policy-level […]

Now that the Department of Defense (DoD) has just released the 2023 China Military Power Report (CMPR)… you can access the Full Text & accompanying documents below. Since I couldn’t find a single-source location on the Internet, and the Pentagon has deactivated some of the previous links, I decided to make my own. Now you can […]

Latest and greatest…with many references to CMSI reports, including the Quick Look Summary from, and revised versions of papers presented at, our 11-13 April 2023 Conference—“Chinese Undersea Warfare: Development, Capabilities, Trends”! As part of Ronald O’Rourke’s continuous incremental improvements, this # 26X (!) edition of his report on PRC naval modernization incorporates numbers provided by […]

China under Xi is steaming full speed ahead at sea. Navigate today’s troubled Indo-Pacific waters by consulting the latest version of Modern Chinese Maritime Forces—just released! This second edition includes new sections for PLA Army (pp. 63–75) and PLA Air Force (pp. 76–78) watercraft; the latest data updates, particularly concerning nuclear-powered submarines (pp. 20–22); and […]

My latest presentation—summarizes my take on what we’re up against & what we must do, urgently, to hold the line on Taiwan and beyond through the 2020s, a most decisive decade!
Andrew S. Erickson “Running the Gauntlet: Holding the Line on Taiwan & Beyond through This Decade/FYDP of Maximum Danger,” Keynote presentation for Foreign Challenges – […]

Dr. Kirchberger applies knowledge and methodology from Sinological scholarship, policy expertise, and technical-industrial insights from three years as a naval analyst with shipbuilder TKMS!
Sarah Kirchberger, China’s Submarine Industrial Base: State-Led Innovation with Chinese Characteristics, China Maritime Report 31 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, September 2023).

About the Author
Dr. Sarah Kirchberger is Academic […]