Brandon Tran

Brandon Tran is an International Affairs and Chinese double major at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has interned with the Center for Naval Analyses, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Army War College, working on Indo-Pacific security issues. He has been published in The Diplomat, Asia Policy, The Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief, and more. Brandon was selected as a 2026 Rhodes Scholar and a 2025 Truman Scholar. Upon graduation in 2026, Brandon will commission as a military intelligence officer.

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Defense Minister Dong Jun Leading Contender for CMC Seat

02.12.2026 Brandon Tran

Executive Summary: As Xi Jinping looks to rebuild the Central Military Commission (CMC), Defense Minister Dong Jun is a strong contender for elevation to the...

Publication China Brief Notes China

Political Purification and Strategic Realignment in the PLA

11.14.2025 Gerui Zhang

Executive Summary: Personnel changes at the top of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may shift its near-term strategy for Taiwan away from planning for a...

Publication China Brief China

PLA Purges Provide Opening for Xi’s Rivals

06.24.2025 Eric Liu

Executive Summary: New evidence suggests that a faction within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aligned with former president Hu Jintao and former premier Wen Jiabao...

Publication China Brief Notes China

PLA Factions and the Erosion of Xi’s Power Over the Military

03.15.2025 Brandon Tran

Executive Summary: Two waves of recent purges in the People’s Liberation Army have focused on Xi Jinping’s two major bases of support, the Shaanxi Gang...

Publication China Brief China