Andrew S. Erickson

I am forever honored to have met Colin Powell, then Secretary of State, during his July 28–29, 2001 visit to Beijing, China.

[PHOTO: Andrew S. Erickson and fellow interns with Secretary of State Colin Powell, U.S. Embassy Beijing, July 2001. Newly-arrived Ambassador Clark T. “Sandy” Randt Jr. (雷德) stands in background.]
Powell quietly commanded respect—exuding maximum authority […]

“China Exploits the ‘Decade of Danger’,” ANI News, 12 October 2021.

… This period where China’s military and strategic power grows to the point that …war becomes possible, and with the USA and allies [currently at risk of being perceived as] unprepared to properly deter, is described as “the decade of greatest danger” by Andrew Erickson, a Professor […]

Conor M. Kennedy, The New Chinese Marine Corps: A “Strategic Dagger” in a Cross-Strait Invasion, China Maritime Report 15 (Newport, RI: Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute, October 2021).
This report discusses the recent expansion/reform of the Chinese Marine Corps in the context of a Taiwan invasion scenario.

Summary
Since 2017, the People’s Liberation Army Navy Marine […]

A comprehensive compendium of PLAN, PLAAF, CCG ships & aircraft + missiles/weapons & sensors from 1955 to present, as you’ve never seen them before… Consult this unparalleled unclassified reference for analysis or gaming today! 
Larry Bond, Chris Carlson, and Peter Grining, eds., China’s Navy: Ships and Aircraft of the People’s Republic of China, 1955 – 2021 (Admiralty […]

Manfred Meyer (edited by Larry Bond and Chris Carlson), Modern Chinese Maritime Forces (Admiralty Trilogy Group, 1 October 2021).

“A compilation of ships and boats of the Chinese Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime Militia and other state authorities”
In terms of ship numbers, each of China’s three sea forces is the world’s largest by a large margin. For the […]

Andrew S. Erickson, “Australia Badly Needs Nuclear Submarines: AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Deal Is a Massive Boost for Australia’s Navy,” Foreign Policy, 20 September 2021.
The country’s maritime scope, and China’s rise, makes the AUKUS deal a no brainer.

It’s rare that a submarine deal—or any military partnership—creates quite as many waves as the Australia-United Kingdom-United States agreement […]

Andrew S. Erickson and Gabriel B. Collins, “China Is Disrupting the Ocean’s Blue Carbon Sink,” Foreign Policy, 10 September 2021.
Washington and Beijing need to protect the global seabed—and address the staggering loophole in greenhouse gas reporting.
Bottom line: The U.S. Must Address China’s Blue Carbon Disruption
By Andrew S. Erickson, a professor of strategy in the U.S. Naval War College’s […]

Gabriel B. Collins and Andrew S. Erickson, “China Is Laying Climate Traps for the United States,” Foreign Policy, 2 September 2021.
With the Glasgow conference approaching, U.S. diplomats must be careful.
By Gabriel B. Collins, the Baker Botts fellow in energy and environmental regulatory affairs at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Andrew S. Erickson, a professor […]

Gabriel B. Collins and Andrew S. Erickson, China’s Climate Cooperation Smokescreen: A Roadmap for Seeing Through the Trap and Countering with Competition (Houston, TX: Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, 31 August 2021).
China accounts for approximately 29% of global carbon dioxide emissions but has an “abiding commitment to coal,” write the authors. Their report outlines […]

With straightforward Army thoroughness… a fascinating interpretation of how the PLA approaches warfare, particularly with regard to its ground forces!
Chinese Tactics, ATP 7-100.3 (Arlington, VA: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 9 August 2021).
Download a cached copy here.
Click here to read information on related publications.

BACKGROUND:
Steven Aftergood, “U.S. Army Views Chinese Military Tactics,” Federation of American Scientists, 23 […]

Timely, relevant, and predictive analysis by brilliant analyst Thomas Shugart. Best read together with (1) the pathbreaking, widely-cited article by Conor Kennedy that he mentions, and (2) the Quick Look summary of the CMSI Conference to which both superstars made critical contributions. I’ve linked all three pieces here; please scroll down to access all now!
Thomas Shugart, […]

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, 15 August 2021.

As Coronavirus rages on, fishy things have been happening across the South and East China Seas, home to virtually all of China’s unresolved maritime disputes… Since Beijing remains far from being fully forthcoming and transparent, it is to be hoped […]

This 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, 4 August 2021).
If you have trouble accessing the website above, please download a cached copy here.
You can also click here to access the […]

Established in 2017, the Naval War College (NWC) Civilian Faculty Research Excellence Award is presented annually to the faculty member of the College who has exhibited the highest quality of achievement through research on behalf of the College over the preceding three years. This year, at Monday’s Faculty Cloister in Newport, RI, my China Maritime Studies […]

It’s not often that an article opens up a major window into a vital, under-studied area. Leading Tibetan scholar Robert Barnett and colleagues do so by probing acutely the intersection of geopolitics with the lives of those compelled to serve in frontline positions by Party persistence. This must-read piece, like its predecessor in a two-part […]

France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (Paris: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2021).
Click here to download a cached copy.
A summary is available here.
Click here for further background.
Read brief report on “France’s Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific (April 2021).”

REPORT CONTENT:
Section One – The Indo-Pacific: a region with polarizing tensions and significant global issues
The main principles and objectives […]

The international community keeps a close watch on China’s security policy and its military trends. The Japanese public has been increasingly aware of the large impact of China’s rising military (and economic) power that may have a huge impact on Japanese security. China, now the second largest economy in the world, has become an essentially […]

Grateful for the opportunity to participate in this debate on U.S.-China climate cooperation vs. competition with leading experts!
It’s based on my earlier Foreign Affairs article with longtime research colleague Gabe Collins at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
We explain why America currently can’t trust China to match its green rhetoric with coal-curtailing action—and offer the […]

The PRC already targets Taiwan and its vicinity with numerous ballistic and cruise missile systems!
China has three hypersonic test vehicles, which may support a future hypersonic cruise missile…
…and is developing two air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBMs), one possibly nuclear.
Check out the extensive graphics, tables & data offered here!
NASIC, DIBMAC release unclassified missile assessment
By NASIC Public Affairs / […]