Regional Issues

Publications | July 22, 2025

More Than a Numbers Game: Comparing US and Chinese Landpower in the Paci...

As the US Army organizes, trains, and equips for an unforeseen future, service decisions should create or amplify relative operational advantages over the US military’s rising foe—the People’s Liberation Army. Discerning critical differences between

China Landpower Studies Center | June 26, 2025

Planning for Protracted Conflict With China: Five Questions to Ask

Where and how a conflict starts will affect the kind of war it will be.

China Landpower Studies Center | June 3, 2025

Assessing the PLA’s Strengths and Weaknesses for Achieving the PRC’s Goals

This chapter examines the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) within the context of its modernization process and argues that the persistence of shortcomings may undercut the confidence senior leaders would prefer

China Landpower Studies Center | May 20, 2025

China Landpower Studies Center Newsletter II

In our second newsletter, we will share the China Landpower Studies Center (CLSC) team’s latest analysis and insights on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

China Landpower Studies Center | May 8, 2025

Ecuador’s Incoming Government Faces Difficult Choices Regarding China

With Daniel Noboa returning to the presidency and a new Chinese ambassador on the way, China-Ecuador relations are at an inflection point.From April 22-25, I had the opportunity to travel to Quito, Ecuador, to address an international forum on China

Category: Publications

2023 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment
August 24, 2023 — The United States operates within a global context that is increasingly complex, interconnected, and unpredictable. The Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment serves as a guide to define broadly the contemporary security landscape and the diverse range of interests that shape our national security agenda... MORE

2023 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment
The Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment serves as a guide for academics and practitioners in the defense community on the current challenges and opportunities in the strategic environment. This year’s publication outlines key strategic issues across the four broad themes of Regional Challenges and Opportunities, Domestic Challenges, Institutional Challenges, and Domains Impacting US Strategic Advantage. These themes represent a wide range of topics affecting national security and provide a global assessment of the strategic environment to help focus the defense community on research and publication. Strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China and the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remain dominant challenges to US national security interests across the globe. However, the evolving security environment also presents new and unconventional threats, such as cyberattacks, terrorism, transnational crime, and the implications of rapid technological advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence. At the same time, the US faces domestic and institutional challenges in the form of recruiting and retention shortfalls in the all-volunteer force, the prospect of contested logistics in large-scale combat operations, and the health of the US Defense Industrial Base. Furthermore, rapidly evolving security landscapes in the Arctic region and the space domain pose unique potential challenges to the Army’s strategic advantage.
https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/962/

AY24 Campaign Planning Handbook
August 22, 2023 — The purpose of this document is to assist United States Army War College students during the Military Strategy and Campaigning (MSC) course. It also serves to assist commanders, planners, and other staff officers in combatant commands (CCMD), joint task forces (JTF), and service component commands. It supplements joint doctrine and contains elements of emerging doctrine as practiced globally by joint force commanders (JFCs)... MORE

CAMPAIGN PLANNING HANDBOOK Academic Year 2024

PRC Engagement in Costa Rica (on CEEP)
May 18, 2023 — R. Evan Ellis Although Costa Rica was the first nation in Latin America to switch relations from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), it stands as a lesson to others that the promise of vast economic and other benefits from diplomatically recognizing China, and the reality, are very different... MORE

PRC Engagement in Costa Rica (on CEEP)
R. Evan Ellis

Americans and the Dragon: Lessons in Coalition Warfighting from the Boxer Uprising
May 17, 2023 — Drawing from archival materials at the US Army Heritage and Education Center and the United States... MORE

Americans and the Dragon: Lessons in Coalition Warfighting from the Boxer Uprising
Mitchell G. Klingenberg
US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

China’s Future Military Capabilities
April 26, 2023 — The 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America identifies China as the “pacing... MORE

China’s Future Military Capabilities by Roger Cliff

Challenges and Threats to Security in Latin America (ceeep.mil.pe)
March 6, 2023 — Latin America faces a complex economic, social and political context with strong implications for the radicalization of society, the erosion of institutions, and the reduction of economic prospects, undermining its commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Although this phenomenon is not exclusive to Latin America, it seems that this region is experiencing the beginning of a chain of events that could negatively impact the countries that integrate it... MORE

Trusting AI
February 8, 2023 — Integrating artificially intelligent technologies for military purposes poses a special challenge... MORE

Trusting AI: Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the Army’s Professional Expert Knowledge

PLA Logistics and Sustainment | PLA Conference 2022
January 20, 2023 — This volume of conference papers was presented at the US Army War College People’s Liberation Army... MORE

PLA Logistics and Sustainment (PLA) Conference 2022
US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield
December 2, 2022 — Every day, malicious actors target emerging technologies and medical resilience or seek to wreak... MORE

Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield: Critical Infrastructure Security and Resiliency NATO COE-DAT Handbook 2 by Sarah J. Lohmann.

A Preliminary Look from Washington at Colombia’s New Direction and Security Challenges
October 28, 2022 — Dr. R. Evan Ellis, October 2022This work examines the likely direction of the Gustavo Petro... MORE

A Preliminary Look from Washington at Colombia’s New Direction and Security Challenges (Gustavo Petro Familia)