Recent Publications

Parameters Winter 2021–22
November 22, 2021 — What Went Wrong in Afghanistan? | Broken Nest: Deterring China from Invading Taiwan | Sino-Indian Border Disputes in an Era of Strategic Expansions | Rethinking US Strategic Concepts | Defeat Mechanisms in Modern Warfare | The Air Littoral: Another Look In Tribute | The Grand Strategic Thought of Colin S. Gray | Sherman and His Historians: An End to the Outsized Destroyer Myth?... MORE

A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key US Allies and Security Partners—Second Edition
October 30, 2020 — Mr. Gary J. Schmitt, 2020With the United States facing two major revisionist powers, Russia and China, as well as additional security threats from North Korea, Iran, and jihadist terrorism, a critical advantage for the United States is its global network of alliances and strategic partners. As the 2018 National Defense Strategy states, “Alliances... MORE

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Strategic Insights: Un-"Steady" State Operations: Redefining the Approach to Phase Zero in a Complex World
June 20, 2016 — LTC Thomas R. Matelski In recent months, there has been much discussion in the U.S. Department of Defense and its subordinate components over the conduct of steady state operations, or as defined in the Joint Operation Planning Process (JOPP), Phase Zero (Phase 0) operations.1 While important to military planning, the current construct for Phase 0... MORE

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A Few Questions About China’s Air Defense Identification Zone and Its Aftermath
March 22, 2014 — China declared an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea on November 23, 2013 (See Figure 1). This move set off a security and political tsunami in the Western Pacific. The United States immediately denounced China’s sudden and unilateral act. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, the European Union, and many... MORE

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Information Warfare
March 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Larry M Wortzel On November 23, 2013, the Chinese government announced plans to establish a new air defense intercept zone which will include the Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands, sovereignty over which is disputed by Japan, China, and Taiwan. Due to complaints of cyber penetrations attributed to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, U.S... MORE

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Arms Sales to Taiwan: Enjoy the Business While It Lasts
May 1, 2010 — Author: Dr David Lai From our "Of Interest" occasional paper series, the author examines recent threats from China over arms sales to Taiwan.Read Now MORE

Beyond the Strait: PLA Missions other than Taiwan
March 1, 2009 — Author: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai, Dr Andrew Scobell SSI and NBR conducted a book launch event for this book. Audio is available on the NBR site.While preventing independence likely remains the central aim of the PLA vis-a-vis Taiwan, Chinese foreign policy objectives worldwide are rapidly growing and diversifying. This volume analyzes the... MORE

PLA Missions Beyond Taiwan
November 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Marc Miller The interplay between China’s armed forces and its complex foreign policy and international security environment was examined in order to understand the requirements of several newly emerging PLA missions, and to consider how these specific interactions affect policy towards Taiwan and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Three... MORE

The United States and ASEAN-China Relations: All Quiet on the Southeast Asian Front
October 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Ian Storey While the overall security situation in Southeast Asia is something of a mixed bag, with grounds for both optimism and pessimism, one of the most encouraging trends in recent years has been the development of ASEAN’s relations with major external powers. Relations between China and ASEAN in particular have demonstrated a... MORE

The Politics of Identity: History, Nationalism, and the Prospect for Peace in Post-Cold War East Asia
April 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Sheila Miyoshi Jager Both the Taiwan Strait and the Korean peninsula harbor real dangers for the Northeast Asian region. The clash between an increasingly divergent nationalist identity in China and in Taiwan represent a new challenge for U.S. policy in this area. Similarly, the rise of pan-Korean nationalism in South Korea, and an... MORE

The Costs of Conflict: The Impact on China of a Future War
October 1, 2001 — Author: Dr Andrew Scobell It is increasingly important for Americans to think carefully about the vast complexities of the U.S.-China relationship, and the calculations that go into forming courses of action. The key question is: will China s so-called first priority of economic development and its resulting influence on domestic social stability... MORE

People’s Liberation Army After Next
August 1, 2000 — Author: COL Susan M Puska The 1999 PLA Conference, which was hosted jointly by the American Enterprise Institute and the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute, convened September 10-12, 1999, at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The goal of this conference was to comprehensively examine Chinese military modernization efforts. The... MORE