Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga
Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga is a Project Associate–China Specialist at the RAND Corporation and a former editor of China Brief.
Contact Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga
Articles by Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga
PLA Social Media Warfare and the Cognitive Domain
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has come to recognize the important role of social media in modern conflict and peacetime operations. As such, PLA researchers have begun using the term
Powering the PLA Abroad: How the Chinese Military Might Fuel Its Overseas Presence
Introduction The establishment of China’s first official overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017 set the precedent for People’s Liberation Army (PLA) units to be permanently stationed abroad. Many foreign
Exploring Chinese Military Thinking on Social Media Manipulation Against Taiwan
Introduction Much has been written about China’s social media manipulation in Taiwan following the 2018 nine-in-one local elections, but both Taiwanese and Western analyses have skewed heavily towards the impact
Where to Next?: PLA Considerations for Overseas Base Site Selection
Introduction Since the People’s Republic of China (PRC) established its first official overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017, there has been much speculation about where China’s next base will
Cognitive Domain Operations: The PLA’s New Holistic Concept for Influence Operations
Introduction As information becomes ever more central for Chinese warfighting, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is developing a new concept for psychological warfare in the information era called “cognitive domain
China Dictates Terms for Sino-Japanese Relations During First Japanese Foreign Minister Visit in Four Years
Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio’s official visit to Beijing from April 29 to May 1, the first trip to China by a Japanese Foreign Minister since November 2011, represented renewed
Special Issue on 2015 Defense White Paper on Military Strategy
As Editors, we have the distinct pleasure of introducing a special issue of China Brief, focused on the Chinese government’s 2015 Defense White Paper (DWP) and its theme of military
President Xi’s Visit to Belarus Prompts Questions of New Line on Taiwan
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Belarus on May 10-12, following his visit to Russia to join President Vladimir Putin in the military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of
Chinese Provinces Aim to Find Their Place Along New Silk Road
As Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road initiative continues to build momentum, provincial governments are looking for ways to integrate their own economic plans with the national strategy and
China Takes Stock of U.S.-Japan Alliance as Abe Speaks to Congress
As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the United States on April 26-May 3, all eyes in China are watching how Abe speaks about ongoing historical memory issues and how
Rolling Out the New Silk Road: Railroads Undergird Beijing’s Strategy
The much-heralded arrival of the Yixinou train in Madrid last December, after traveling 8,000 miles from Yiwu, China, encapsulated the rapid expansion of China’s railway network across Eurasia and the
PLA Navy Used for First Time in Naval Evacuation from Yemen Conflict
On March 29, the Linyi, a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) missile frigate, evacuated the first 122 Chinese citizens and two foreign experts from Aden, Yemen to Djibouti as the
NPC Meeting Touts New Silk Road as New Driver for Economic Growth
China’s parliamentary showcase, the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), collectively known as the “two sessions,”
The New Silk Road and Latin America: Will They Ever Meet?
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road stretches over 8,000 miles from China to Europe, traversing the Eurasian land mass and even touching Africa, but notably excludes one continent on
Dispatch from Beijing: PLA Writings on the New Silk Road
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “New Silk Road” has become a signature policy initiative, with over 50 countries participating and a new $40 billion Silk Road Fund to ensure its success
U.S. Suggestion For Japanese Patrols in South China Sea Prompts ADIZ Threat
A recent U.S. suggestion for Japanese patrols in the South China Sea has elicited a sharp rebuttal by the Chinese government and reignited Chinese media discussion of a South China
Obama’s State of the Union “A Mix of Love and Hate” Toward China
On January 20, U.S. President Barack Obama gave his second to last State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress, striking out a bold vision for his last two
Chinese Public Opinion and North Korea: Will Anger Lead to Policy Change?
North Korea’s suspected role in the November 2014 cyber attack on Sony Pictures, a Japanese-owned film studio in Hollywood, has once again dragged China into a discussion of its role
China’s Foreign Policy in 2014: A Year to Harvest Partnerships and the Silk Road
On December 11, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave his annual speech encapsulating China’s foreign policy successes over the last year (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 11). He highlighted China’s
Taiwan’s “Vote of No Confidence” For KMT (and China Too)
Taiwan’s largest election ever, on November 29, led to a rousing, if not expected, defeat of Taiwan’s governing and pro-status quo party, the Kuomintang (KMT), by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive
Special Issue on China’s Fourth Plenum
As Editor, I have the distinct pleasure of introducing a special issue of China Brief, focused on the Chinese Communist Party’s Fourth Plenum and its theme of yifazhiguo, often translated
China Cynical over U.S. Midterm Elections, But Expects Policy Continuity
On Tuesday, November 4, the United States held its 2014 midterm elections and voted the Republican Party into the majority in the U.S. Senate, giving them control of both houses
Beijing Prepares for APEC Summit Amid Possible Sino-Japanese Thaw
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s meetings with Chinese Minster of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi in Boston on October 17–18 marked the end of preparations by senior-level officials for the
A Spoiled Anniversary: China Reacts to Confucius Institute Controversy
On September 27, Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrated “Confucius Institute Day,” commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the first Institute’s founding in November 2004, in South Korea. Yet this self-congratulatory atmosphere
Xi’s Op-Ed Diplomacy: Selling the “China Dream” Abroad
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s six-day trip to South Asia during September 14–19, on state visits to the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, redoubled China’s efforts to increase its presence in
Anti-Privilege Campaign Hits the Chinese Middle Class
On September 4, China’s State Council announced a series of ambitious and wide-reaching reforms of the Chinese college admissions system, designed to increase fairness and reduce pressure on China’s high