Publications
Analyzing the Chinese Military: A Review Essay and Resource Guide on the People’s Liberation Army was my first book. I wrote it to help researchers, students, officials, and military officers find their way around the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the analytic community that follows it. In addition to the review essay that explores current assessment and identifies best practices, the appendices provide 45 pages of organized bibliography for building one’s knowledge of the PLA. Several friends and colleagues provided nice dust jacket reviews, but none quite so nice as this:
“An absolute ‘must read’ for anyone wanting to understand the Chinese military. This book is a fantastic introduction to the PLA and the China military studies community in the United States. It will be an excellent tool for educating busy professionals who may find themselves working in this area. Analyzing the Chinese Military is essential reading for both the expert and the layperson alike.”
— Randy Schriver, current Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Security Affairs
Author's Pages
Chinese Intelligence, Influence, and Internal Security
Chinese Politics
People's Liberation Army and Foreign/Security Policy
Intelligence and Strategy (General)
Book Reviews
Chinese Intelligence, Influence, and Internal Security
- “China’s ‘Three Warfares’ in Perspective,” War on the Rocks, January 30, 2018
- “Contrasting China’s and Russia’s Influence Operations,” War on the Rocks, January 16, 2018
- “Laws on Foreign Influence Just the Beginning in Fight Against Chinese Coercion,” Sydney Morning Herald, December 7, 2017
- “Chinese Legislation Points to New Intelligence Co-ordinating System,” Jane’s Intelligence Review, September 5, 2017
- “Counterintelligence Remains Weakness in Taiwan’s Defense,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 17, No. 11, August 17, 2017
- “Everything We Know about China’s Secretive State Security Bureau,” The National Interest, July 9, 2017
- “China Reorients Strategic Military Intelligence,” Jane’s Intelligence Review, March 3, 2017
- “Modernizing Military Intelligence: Playing Catch-Up (Part Two),” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 16, No. 19, 21, 2016
- “Modernizing Military Intelligence: Playing Catch-Up (Part One),” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 16, No. 18, December 5, 2016
- “Spy Games in Taiwan Strait: Taipei’s Unenviable Espionage Problem,” Global Taiwan Brief, Vol. 1, No. 2, September 28, 2016
- “Australia Is Debating Chinese Influence. Should the U.S. Do the Same? A ChinaFile Conversation,” ChinaFile, June 11, 2017
- “A ChinaFile Conversation: Is Big Data Increasing Beijing’s Capacity for Control?” ChinaFile, August 12, 2016 (with Samantha Hoffman)
- “Playing Catchup: Restructuring Military Intelligence to Support System of Systems Operations,” in Joe McReynolds, ed., China’s Evolving Military Strategy (Washington, DC: The Jamestown Foundation, 2016)
- “Electronic Warfare and the Renaissance of Chinese Information Operations,” in Joe McReynolds, ed., China’s Evolving Military Strategy (Washington, DC: The Jamestown Foundation, 2016) (with John Costello)
- “China’s Old-School Spies,” The National Interest, July 9, 2016
- “Military Intelligence at a Crossroads,” The Cipher Brief, February 19, 2016
- “China’s Military Intelligence System is Changing,” War on the Rocks, December 29, 2015
- “Chen Wenqing: China’s New Man for State Security,” The National Interest, October 23, 2015
- “A Guide to Chinese Intelligence Operations,” War on the Rocks, August 18, 2015
- “China’s New Intelligence War against the United States,” War on the Rocks, July 22, 2015
- “Li Kenong and the Practice of Chinese Intelligence,” International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Vol. 28, No. 3 (2015), pp. 540–556
- “The New Normal: China’s Risky Intelligence Operations,” The National Interest, July 6, 2015
- “Cracking Down on Foreign Espionage Channels,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 15, No. 5, March 6, 2015
- “The Dragon’s Eyes and Ears: Chinese Intelligence at the Crossroads,” The National Interest, January 20, 2015
- “China’s Espionage Against Taiwan (Part II): The Organizational Landscape,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 14, No. 23, December 5, 2014
- “China’s Espionage Against Taiwan (Part I): Analysis of Recent Operations,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 14, No. 21, November 7, 2014
- “Virtual Espionage Challenges Chinese Counterintelligence,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 14, No. 9, May 7, 2014
- “Five Ways China Spies,” The National Interest, March 6, 2014
- “China’s Intelligence Reform,” The Diplomat, January 23, 2013
- “PLA Personnel Shifts Highlight Intelligence’s Growing Military Role,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 21, November 5, 2012
- “Beyond Spy versus Spy: Clarifying the Analytic Challenge of the Chinese Intelligence Services,” Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 56, No. 4 (September 2012), pp. 47–57
- “Assessing Western Perspectives on Chinese Intelligence,” International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Fall 2012), pp. 678–699
- “Reexamining the Confucius Institutes,” The Diplomat, August 2, 2012
- “Zhou Yongkang and the Tarnished Reputation of China’s Police,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 7, March 30, 2012
- “Evaluating China’s Intelligence Penetration of Taiwan,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 6, March 15, 2012
- “China’s Amateur Spying Problem,” The Diplomat, December 11, 2011
- “China’s Misunderstood Spies,” The Diplomat, October 31, 2011
- “General’s Spy Comments Reveal More Than Just Espionage,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 16, September 2, 2011
- “Growth Imperative Challenges Even Chinese Security Measures,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 14, July 29, 2011
- “Taiwan Espionage Cases Highlight Changes in Chinese Intelligence Operations,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 12, July 1, 2011
- “China’s Adaptive Approach to the Information Counter-Revolution,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 10, June 3, 2011
- “Information Revolution and State Security,” Taipei Times, March 19, 2011
- “Assessing the Foreign Policy Influence of the Ministry of State Security,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 1, January 14, 2011
- “Time to Wise Up to China’s Spying,” Taipei Times, November 14, 2010
- “Shriver Case Highlights Traditional Chinese Espionage,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 10, No. 22, November 5, 2010
Chinese Politics
- “What’s the Takeaway from the 19th Party Congress? A ChinaFile Conversation,” ChinaFile, October 27, 2017
- “Getting China Right from Carter to Obama,” War on the Rocks, August 22, 2016
- “Managing the Power Within: China’s State Security Commission,” War on the Rocks, July 18, 2016 (with Samantha Hoffman)
- “Man or Machine? Seeking Truth in Chinese Politics,” War on the Rocks, July 7, 2016
- “What the Latest Ousting of a Chinese General Means,” War on the Rocks, January 5, 2016
- “Stop Saying China is at a Crossroads,” The National Interest, August 7, 2015
- “A ChinaFile Conversation: Is China Really Cracking Up?” ChinaFile, March 12, 2015
- “Doomsday: Preparing for China’s Collapse,” The National Interest, March 2, 2015
- “China Not Full of Raging Nationalists,” The National Interest, April 9, 2014
- “China’s Proposed ‘State Security Council’: Social Governance under Xi Jinping,” University of Nottingham, China Policy Institute Blog, November 21, 2013 (with Samantha Hoffman)
- “Inside China’s New Security Council,” The National Interest, November 21, 2013 (with Samantha Hoffman)
- “What to Ask at the Third Plenum: Is Xi’s Party Building Sufficient for Reform?” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 16, August 9, 2013
- “Appraising Xi Jinping’s Politicking,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 14, July 12, 2013
- “Informatization Drives Expanded Scope of Public Security,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 12, 2013
- “Can Xi Jinping Grow Political Power Out of the Barrel of a Gun?” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 4, February 15, 2013
- “The Myth of Xi Jinping’s ‘New Leadership’,” The Diplomat, February 6, 2013
- “New Police Chief Shows Reliability But Not Power,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 3, February 1, 2013
- “Year-End Questions on Political-Legal Reform,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 24, December 14, 2012
- “The Unrepentant China Model,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 23, November 30, 2012
- “Central Committee Roundup; Zhuhai Air Show Highlights Burgeoning Aerospace Industry,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 22, November 16, 2012
- “Resolving Contradictions in Social Management,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 18, September 21, 2012
- “Hu Jintao’s Doubtful Future on the Central Military Commission,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 16, August 17, 2012
- “Looking Ahead at Politburo Possibilities,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 15, August 4, 2012
- “How Much Power Does China’s ‘People’s’ Army Have?” The Diplomat, July 13, 2012
- “Re-Popularizing Marxism: Li Changchun’s Contribution to Reform,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 13, July 6, 2012
- “Is China Scared of a Coup?” The Diplomat, July 4, 2012
- “Zhou Yongkang’s Successor,” The Diplomat, June 29, 2012
- “Central Party School’s Critiques Suggest New Leadership Dynamics,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 12, June 22, 2012
- “State Council Highlights China’s Information Security Challenges,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 10, May 11, 2012
- “The Limits of Reform: Assaulting the Castle of the Status Quo,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 9, April 26, 2012
- “Another Lei Feng Revival: Making Maoism Safe for China,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 5, March 2, 2012
- “Security Chief’s Efforts to Seal Up the Political-Legal Chairmanship,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 4, February 21, 2012
- “The Foundations of China’s Future Stability,” East-West Center, Asia-Pacific Bulletin, No. 149, February 9, 2012
- “Wukan Uprising Highlights Dilemmas of Preserving Stability,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 23, December 20, 2011
- “Public Security Officially Joins the Blogosphere,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 18, September 30, 2011
- “Rethinking Chinese Succession,” Taipei Times, October 21, 2010
People's Liberation Army and Foreign/Security Policy
- “Army Day Themes Laud Party Leadership, Highlights Discord,” Jamestown Foundation Chain Brief, Vol. 16, No. 13, August 22, 2016
- “A ChinaFile Conversation: Is Europe Prepared to Deal with the China Challenge?,” ChinaFile, June 25, 2016
- “China’s Never-Ending Military Reforms,” The Diplomat, March 3, 2016
- “New Law Reshapes Chinese Counterterrorism Policy and Operations,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 16, No. 2, January 26, 2016
- “Three Scenarios for Understanding Changing PLA Activity in Cyberspace,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 15, No. 23, December 7, 2015
- “Lingering Questions over the U.S.-China Cyber Affirmation,” War on the Rocks, October 7, 2015
- “Observations on PLA Studies,” University of Nottingham, China Policy Institute Blog, September 30, 2015
- “The Great Unraveling of U.S. Policy in the South China Sea,” The National Interest, September 29, 2015
- “The PLA Puzzle in Chinese Politics,” University of Nottingham, China Policy Institute, Policy Paper, No. 8 (September 2015)
- “U.S. Policy toward China: Imposing Costs Doesn’t Mean Ending Engagement,” The National Interest, September 10, 2015
- “No Easy Task: The Right Way to Study the Chinese Military,” The National Interest, June 29, 2015
- “So You Want to be a PLA Expert?,” War on the Rocks, June 2, 2015
- “Hidden Dragon: China’s ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ Military Posture,” The National Interest, March 27, 2015
- “China’s Military Is Not Going Rogue,” The National Interest, January 6, 2015
- “Army Day Stresses Continuity of Reform,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 14, No. 16, August 22, 2014
- “Military Outcomes of NPC [National People’s Congress] 2014,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 14, No. 6, March 20, 2014
- “China’s ADIZ: A Low-Risk Move,” The National Interest, December 13, 2013
- “China’s East China Sea ADIZ: Framing Japan to Help Washington Understand,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 24, December 5, 2013
- “Pushing the ‘New Type of International Relations’ in Latin America,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 15,
- “Chinese Dreams: An Ideological Bulwark, Not a Framework for Sino-American Relations,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 12, June 7, 2013
- “Nothing New about China’s New Concept,” The National Interest, June 7, 2013
- “Exploring the International Aspects of China’s Ideological Crackdown,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 11, May 23, 2013
- “China’s Response to Pentagon Report ‘Baseless, Counterproductive’,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 10, May 9, 2013
- “Out with the New, In with the Old: Interpreting China’s ‘New Type of International Relations’,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 9, April 25, 2013
- “South Sea Fleet Exercises Shine Spotlight on Tensions,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 7, March 28, 2013
- “PLA Deputies Offer Clarifications of Military Intentions,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 6, March 15, 2013
- “Rigorous Training Schedule Highlights PLA’s Focus on People,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 5, March 4, 2013
- “Spiraling Surprises in Sino-Japanese Tensions,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 2, January 18, 2013
- “Soothing Tones on China’s Rise Strike Dissonance,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 4, 2013
- “China’s International Right to Speak,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 20, October 19, 2012
- “Zhou Yongkang’s Trip Highlights Security Diplomacy,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 19, October 5, 2012
- “Angola Operation Shows China Testing Overseas Security Role,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 17, September 7, 2012
- “Cambodian Visit to China Rubs Salt in ASEAN Wounds,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 17, September 7, 2012
- “Shoring Up PLA ‘Military Cultural Security’ to Ensure Stability,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 14, July 19, 2012
- “Taiwan’s Intelligence Chief Offers New Insights on Chinese Security,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 11, May 25, 2012
- “China Fêtes Turkish Leader as Beijing Recognizes Ankara’s Growing Role,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 8, April 12, 2012
- “Kidnappings Highlight Weaknesses in Chinese Security Posture Abroad,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 3, February 3, 2012
- “New Departments and Research Centers Highlight Military’s Concerns for the Future,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 6, 2012
- “Chinese Military Creates Strategic Planning Department,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 22, November 30, 2011
- “Mekong Murders Spur Beijing to Push New Security Cooperation,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 21, November 11, 2011
- “Shelving Differences While Hedging in the South China Sea,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 17, September 16, 2011
- “Civil-Military Integration Theme Marks PLA Day Coverage,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 15, August 12, 2011
- “China Reacts to Admiral Mullen Visit,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 11, No. 14, July 29, 2011
- “The Strategic Vulnerability of China’s Reliance on Coal,” Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Vol. 6, No. 8, April 12, 2006
- “A Victory for China’s ‘New Security Concept’,” China-Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 2 (July 2005), pp. 37–42
- “China’s New Push for Energy,” China-Eurasia Forum Monthly, March 2004
Intelligence and Strategy (General)
- “Security Fail: The Foreign Investment Process is Broken,” The National Interest, February 6, 2017
- “Why Tradecraft Will Not Save Intelligence Analysis,” War on the Rocks, June 17, 2016
- “The Future of U.S. Intelligence: Adapting to Deal with China,” The National Interest, July 13, 2015
- “Four U.S. Intelligence Assumptions that Need to Go,” The National Interest, February 2, 2015
- “Better Intel: Making Sense of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Creativity Dilemma,” The National Interest, November 3, 2014
- “Bringing Europe into Re-Balancing Toward Asia,” The National Interest, May 6, 2014
- “Mattis to Daddis: Strategy Should Come from Civilians, Not Generals Who Execute,” Tom Ricks’ Best Defense Blog, Foreign Policy, April 5, 2012
Book Reviews
- “Optimism for Taiwan’s Defense: A Review of ‘The Chinese Invasion Threat’,” Taiwan Sentinel, October 7, 2017
- “The Future of Asian (In)Stability: In Search of the Right Questions,” War on the Rocks, February 2, 2017
- “A Guide to Catching Up on China’s Politics and Military,” War on the Rocks, August 3, 2016
- “Combing Through an Invaluable Resource on the People’s Liberation Army,” War on the Rocks, February 16, 2016
- Review of Daniel Bell, The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2015) in Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Winter 2016)
- “A Shaky Case for Chinese Deception: A Review of The Hundred-Year Marathon,” War on the Rocks, February 19, 2015
- Review of William Hannas, James Mulvenon, and Anna Puglisi, Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernization (New York: Routledge, 2013), in International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Vol. 28. No. 2 (Spring 2015)
- Review of I.C. Smith and Nigel West, Historical Dictionary of Chinese Intelligence, in Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 56, No. 4 (December 2012)
- Review of David Wise, Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China, in International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Spring 2012)