Recent Publications

PacNet #49 – China’s military engagements with Cuba: Implications of a strategic advance in Latin America
July 30, 2023 — R. Evan Ellis In June 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that the People’s Republic of China has heavily invested in a cash-strapped Cuba in exchange for access to an electronic intelligence collection (ELINT) facility, and negotiated an agreement to train Chinese soldiers on the north side of the island. These developments have been met with... MORE

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance
June 20, 2023 — R. Evan EllisDuring World War II, Brazil contributed to the security of allied trans-Atlantic shipping routes and sent a division-sized expeditionary force to Italy to help liberate Europe from Hitler and Mussolini’s murderous dictatorships. In 1985, Brazilians rallied around Tancredo Neves and José Sarney to end undemocratic military rule... MORE

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance
Jun 20, 2023 | China, R. Evan Ellis, South & Latin America, SSI Worldwide

The Advance of China and Authoritarian Populism in Honduras
June 9, 2023 — R. Evan EllisIn Latin America, it is strategically important that the United States distinguish between principled left-oriented democratic regimes versus those which seek to manage the alarm of Washington and Western investors as they pursue a fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-market, anti-U.S. course. It is time for Washington to recognize that... MORE

The Advance of China and Authoritarian Populism in Honduras
R. Evan Ellis

“Taiwan’s Food Resiliency—or Not—in a Conflict with China”
June 2, 2023 — The US military, intelligence, and diplomatic communities have overlooked a key vulnerability in their assessment of a potential military conflict between China and Taiwan—Taiwan’s growing reliance on agricultural imports and its food stocks (except for rice) that could endure trade disruptions for only six months. This podcast assesses Taiwan’s agricultural sector and its ability to feed the country’s population if food imports and production are disrupted; identifies the food products that should be prioritized in resupply operations, based on Taiwan’s nutritional needs and domestic food production; and outlines the required logistical assets. These findings underscore the urgency for US military planners to develop long-term logistical solutions for this complex strategic issue. ... MORE

The Trouble with China’s Global Civilization Initiative (on The Diplomat)
June 1, 2023 — R. Evan EllisHistory is marked by the recurring tragedy of publics rallying around leaders with attractive-sounding rhetoric, from new constitutions to government-led development and social justice, to prosperity through privatization. Whether on the right or the left, the most consistent outcome is to empower and benefit the elites selling the... MORE

SSI Live 100 – Panama’s Evolving Relationship with China
May 26, 2023 — Dr. Evan Ellis is a relatively small country but one of pivotal strategic importance in our hemisphere, especially given the role of the Panama canal and the related financial services industry. Dr. Evan Ellis had the opportunity to travel there recently to engage Panamanian officials and academics, to get a sense of what’s ahead as the country faces national elections next year, to gauge the country’s evolving relationship with China, and to assess the implications for the United States... MORE

China’s Future Military Capabilities
May 22, 2023 — The 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America identifies China as the “pacing challenge” for the US military. This podcast examines the process by which China’s military capabilities are developed, the capabilities China’s military is seeking to acquire in the future, and the resulting implications for the US military. To date, all the extant studies have merely described the capabilities the People’s Liberation Army is currently acquiring... MORE

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 Military Academy at West Point, numerous published primary sources, and a range of secondary sources, this monograph offers an overview of the China Relief Expedition from June 1900 to the moment of liberation in August. Its considerations range from... 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

Revisiting “Sino-Russian Relations and the War in Ukraine”
May 11, 2023 — In this podcast, Zenel Garcia and Kevin Modlin draw on recent visits of Chinese officials to Russia to support their contention that Sino-Russian relations are a narrow partnership centered on accelerating the emergence of a multipolar order to reduce American hegemony and illustrate this point by tracing the discursive and empirical foundations of the relationship. Additionally, they highlight how the war... MORE

Stress-Testing Chinese-Russian Relations
May 9, 2023 — Robert E. Hamilton A debate over the nature of the China-Russia relationship has raged for almost two decades. One side believes the two are strategic partners; the other believes their ties are an “axis of convenience” lacking depth.Understanding the true nature of their relationship is of vital importance to U.S. national security. A true... MORE

Stress-Testing Chinese-Russian Relations
Robert E. Hamilton

Parameters Summer Preview
April 26, 2023 — This podcast offers a preview of the latest Parameters demi-issue and full issue... MORE

China’s Future Military Capabilities
April 26, 2023 — The 2022 National Defense Strategy of the United States of America identifies China as the “pacing challenge” for the US military. This monograph examines the process by which China’s military capabilities are developed, the capabilities China’s military is seeking to acquire in the future, and the resulting implications for the US military. To... MORE

China’s Future Military Capabilities by Roger Cliff