Recent Publications

Busting the Myths About the North Korea Problem
February 23, 2012 — Dr. David Lai North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il passed away on December 17, 2011. His servants followed his will to crown his 28-year-old son, Kim Jong-un, as the “Great Successor” to the Kim family dynasty. Skepticism abounds about the “untested” young emperor's ability to continue dynastic rule in North Korea. There are also speculations that... MORE

Preserving U.S. National Security Interests Through a Liberal World Construct
January 11, 2012 — LTC Kevin Fujimoto The emergence of peer competitors, not terrorism, presents the greatest long-term threat to our national security. Over the past decade, while the United States concentrated its geopolitical focus on fighting two land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, China has quietly begun implementing a strategy to emerge as the dominant imperial... MORE

The United States and China in Power Transition
December 1, 2011 — Author: Dr David Lai The most profound change that the United States and China have experienced in their relations over the past 30 years is perhaps the onset of an apparent power transition between the two nations. This potentially titanic change was set in motion as a result of China’s genuine and phenomenal economic development, and the impact... MORE

Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future
November 1, 2011 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank This book presents several essays analyzing Russia’s extensive nuclear agenda and the issues connected with it. It deals with strategy, doctrine, European, Eurasian, and East Asian security agendas, as well as the central U.S.-Russia nuclear and arms control equations. This work brings together American, European, and... MORE

Chinese Lessons from Other Peoples’ Wars
November 1, 2011 — Authors: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai, Dr Andrew Scobell The importance of China stems not only from its current international role and its influence on the Asia-Pacific region in particular, but also because China’s impact on global developments will likely continue to grow. One of our enduring imperatives is to accurately survey China’s... MORE

Op-Ed: China’s Aircraft Carrier: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
October 27, 2011 — Dr. David LaiChina test-sailed its first aircraft carrier on August 10, 2011. The maiden sail was remarkably low key, but its significance is far-reaching.China's journey to this début started in the mid-1990s when it approached Ukraine for the possibility of acquiring the half-built, but practically abandoned, Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag. The... MORE

China-Latin America Military Engagement: Good Will, Good Business, and Strategic Position
August 1, 2011 — Author: Dr R Evan Ellis This monograph examines Chinese military engagement with Latin America in five areas: (1) meetings between senior military officials; (2) lower-level military-to-military interactions; (3) military sales; (4) military-relevant commercial interactions; and, (5) Chinese physical presence within Latin America, all of which have... MORE

Other People’s Wars: PLA Lessons from Foreign Conflicts
April 1, 2011 — Authors: Mr Daniel Alderman, Mr Joe Narus Key Insights:• The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has not fought in a major war since 1979, but has studied the lessons of modern foreign conflicts from throughout the world. In some cases, those lessons have resulted in observable changes to the PLA’s strategic, tactical, or operational posture.•... MORE

The Coming of Chinese Hawks
October 1, 2010 — Author: Dr David Lai Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the October 2010 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Chinese Energy Security: The Myth of the PLAN’s Frontline Status
August 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Ryan Clarke This monograph examines the dynamics of China’s energy security dilemma and the role of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Following this, PLAN development is discussed and its future role in regional security is hypothesized. This report argues that it is domestic market inefficiencies and poor management practices... MORE

Cover for An Army Transformed: The U.S. Army's Post-Vietnam Recovery and the Dynamics of Change in Military Organizations

David Galula: His Life and Intellectual Context
August 1, 2010 — Author: Ms Ann Marlowe This monograph is based on interviews with David Galula’s surviving family and friends as well as archival research. It places Galula’s two great books in the context of his exposure to Mao’s doctrine of revolutionary warfare in China, the French Army’s keen interest in counterinsurgency in the second half of the 1950s, and... MORE

China’s Role in the Stabilization of Afghanistan
July 1, 2010 — Author: Col Greg Kleponis China's recent 3.5 billion dollar contract bid for the Aynak Copper Field in Afghanistan is the single largest foreign investment in Afghanistan to date. Critics contend that China is getting a free-ride on the coat tails of U.S.-coalition stabilization efforts. However, the author argues that any economic stimulus,... MORE