Dennis J. Blasko
Dennis J. Blasko, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), is a former U.S. army attaché to Beijing and Hong Kong and author of The Chinese Army Today (Routledge, 2006).
Contact Dennis J. Blasko
Articles by Dennis J. Blasko
The Chinese Navy’s Marine Corps, Part 2: Chain-of-Command Reforms and Evolving Training
Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part article discussing organizational reforms and evolving missions for the PLA Navy (PLAN) Marine Corps. The first part, in our previous
The Chinese Navy’s Marine Corps, Part 1: Expansion and Reorganization
Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a two-part article discussing organizational reforms and evolving missions for the PLA Navy (PLAN) Marine Corps. The first part focuses on the
The PLA at 90: On the Road to Becoming a World-Class Military?
China recently celebrated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with a parade and military exercises at the Zhurihe Training Base in Inner Mongolia (CCTV,
Recent Developments in the Chinese Army’s Helicopter Force
Update: Since the publication of this article, Chinese reporting on the Army Aviation brigades in the new 74th and 75th Group Armies indicates that the 74th GA has been formed
What is Known and Unknown about Changes to the PLA’s Ground Combat Units
Update: Since the publication of this article, Chinese reporting on the Army Aviation brigades in the new 74th and 75th Group Armies indicates that the 74th GA has been formed
A “First” for the People’s Liberation Army: A Navy Admiral Becomes a Joint, Regional, Commander
Among recent changes in the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) leadership, the appointment of Vice Admiral Yuan Yubai to Commander of the Southern Theater Command is particularly noteworthy (PLA Daily, January
China’s Contribution to Peacekeeping Operations: Understanding the Numbers
China’s participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) has received considerable media attention for the past several years as Beijing’s international profile has expanded. To be sure, of the five permanent
The New PLA Joint Headquarters and Internal Assessments of PLA Capabilities
The creation of new multi-service (joint) headquarters organizations at the national (strategic) and theater (operational) levels is a major component of the current tranche of reforms underway in the People’s
The PLA’s New Organizational Structure: What is Known, Unknown, and Speculation (Part 2)
Note: This article is part of a series examining changes to China’s Military organizational structure and personnel. Part 1 examines what is known and unknown. Part 2 contains speculation as
The PLA’s New Organizational Structure: What is Known, Unknown and Speculation (Part 1)
Note: This article is part of a two-part series examining changes to China’s Military organizational structure and personnel. Part 1 examines what is known and unknown. Part 2 contains speculation
The 2015 Chinese Defense White Paper on Strategy in Perspective: Maritime Missions Require a Change in the PLA Mindset
Nearly 20 years ago in November 1995, the Information Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued the first defense-related white paper on “Arms Control and
PLA Special Operations Forces: Organizations, Missions and Training
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) special operations forces (SOF) are considered among the “new type” units receiving priority for development (Information Office of the State Council, April 16, 2013). With their
New York Times Quotes Dennis Blasko on Chinese Military Modernization
The New York Times quoted Dennis Blasko in an article on Chinese military reform. Blasko is an occasional contributor to China Brief, and appears regularly at The Jamestown Foundation's annual
The “Two Incompatibles” and PLA Self-Assessments of Military Capability
Recently, a Beijing-based defense attaché from a NATO country was reported saying, “Our assessment is they [the People’s Liberation Army] are nowhere near as effective as they think they are”
The 2013 Defense White Paper in Perspective
After every Chinese Defense white paper is released the first question invariably asked is “What’s new?” The unsatisfying, but accurate, answer is “It depends on what you already know about
Jamestown’s Dennis Blasko quoted by The New York Times
On April 16, Jamestown analyst Dennis J. Blasko was quoted in the New York Times’ discussion of China’s recently-released defense white paper, stating that Beijing revealed little information of importance to knowledgeable readers.
Jamestown Analyst Dennis Blasko Interviewed in New York Times
Dennis Blasko, a regular contributor to the China Brief, was interviewed in the New York Times for a story on the political frictions between the Chinese People's Liberation Army and
Politics and the PLA: Securing Social Stability
Every year, especially around the time of the National People’s Congress, political campaigns are waged to assure the loyalty of all those who carry guns in China and this year
China in 2012: Shifting Perspectives – Assessing the PLA from the Ground Up
In 2012, most analysis of Chinese military developments probably will focus on the senior-level leadership changes expected to take place in the Central Military Commission (CMC) and new military equipment.
China Brief Analyst Dennis Blasko’s Assessment of PLA Budget Cited in Huffington Post
Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Lawrence Korb and Bill French cited Dennis Blasko's China Brief article "An Analysis of China’s 2011 Defense Budget and Total Military Spending — The
China Brief Analyst Dennis Blasko interviewed by Channel News Asia
An article comparing the Chinese and US navies appearing on Channel News Asia cited Jamestown's China Brief Analyst Dennis Blasko on December 7, 2011.
An Analysis of China’s 2011 Defense Budget and Total Military Spending — The Great Unknown
On March 4 , Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the National People’s Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC), announced a 601 billion yuan (~ $91.5 billion) defense budget, a
China’s Marines: Less is More
On November 3, the Global Times reported that “some 1,800 naval forces and at least 100 warships, submarines and combat aircrafts [sic]” of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “Marine Corps”
Mission Action 2010: Three Complex, Transregional, Integrated Joint Operations
On October 9, the Chinese media announced the start of a multi-region, joint air-land exercise called Mission Action 2010 (shiming xingdong 2010). People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground force units from
PLA Amphibious Capabilities: Structured for Deterrence
A few weeks before the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its 2010 report to Congress on “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China,” a Taiwanese military
Chinese Strategic Thinking: People’s War in the 21st Century
People’s war is not a static or dead theory. As the People's Liberation Army (PLA) modernizes through the processes of mechanization and informationization, "China is striving to make innovations in
PLA Exercises March Toward Trans-Regional Joint Training
While elements of units from all services in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were preparing for the military parade on October 1st, a much larger slice of the PLA was
The PRC 60th Anniversary Parade: Equipment on Display, Not Military Capabilities
The Chinese press has announced that 52 types of “new weapon systems” will be on display in 30 vehicle and 12 air formations during the October 1st military parade portion
Military Parades Demonstrate Chinese Concept of Deterrence
On April 23rd the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will conduct a “naval parade” in the waters off of Qingdao. This naval review will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the
China’s Views on NATO Expansion: A Secondary National Interest
The eastward expansion of membership and enlargement of missions undertaken by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) over the past decade push a lot of sensitive buttons in China’s national
The Pentagon-PLA Disconnect: China’s Self Assessments of Its Military Capabilities
Sun Tzu’s admonition “Know the enemy and know yourself” is a fundamental tenet of Chinese military strategy [1]. The books On Military Campaigns and The Science of Military Strategy include
A Strategic Crossroads for Chinese Military Power
The 2005 Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress on “The Military Power of the People’s Republic of China” is to be commended for providing context, up-to-date information, and some
CHINESE MILITARY LOGISTICS: THE GAD SYSTEM PART II
The General Armament Department (GAD) was created in 1998 from parts of several existing national-level headquarters that dealt with various aspects of equipment development, acquisition, repair, and maintenance. With its
CHINESE MILITARY LOGISTICS: THE GLD SYSTEM
Based on its study of logistics requirements in modern conflicts starting with the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and their own performance in the 1979 "Defensive Counterattack" into Vietnam, the Chinese People's