Latest China Brief Articles

Modernizing Military Intelligence: Playing Catchup (Part Two)

This two-part series is adapted from remarks delivered at The Jamestown Foundation’s Sixth Annual China Defense and Security Conference and chapter in China’s Evolving Military Strategy (2016). Part One addresses the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) evolving thinking on intelligence. Part Two addresses the organizational aspects... MORE

The Strategic Support Force: Update and Overview

It has been nearly a year since the first round of military reforms responsible for the creation of the Strategic Support Force (战略支援部队; SSF). Although media reports were initially forthcoming with information, references to the SSF quickly dropped off, leaving far more questions than answers.... MORE

The Emergence of the Wang Qishan Faction

The proverb “mandarins can set big fires, but common folks can’t even light a candle” is often used to describe the often-outlandish privileges enjoyed by the authorities. After the recent Sixth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee conferred upon Xi Jinping the... MORE

Carrier Operations on Display in the Bohai Gulf

On December 15, the Chinese Navy put its first carrier, the Liaoning, through its paces in the Bohai gulf (渤海) near Tianjin and conducted its first exercise with live ammunition (CCTV, December 16). The ship’s complement of J-15 aircraft also carried out a series of... MORE

New Government Continues Mongolia’s Rebalance to China

The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) came to power in a land-slide election in June 2016 due to the dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s (DP) economic policies. However, in outlining its economic development and foreign relations priorities, the MPP has made it clear that it intends... MORE

Modernizing Military Intelligence: Playing Catch-Up (Part One)

This two-part series is adapted from remarks delivered at The Jamestown Foundation’s Sixth Annual China Defense and Security Conference and chapter in China’s Evolving Military Strategy (2016). Part One addresses the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) evolving thinking on intelligence. Part Two addresses the organizational aspects... MORE