Peter Mattis
Peter Mattis is President of The Jamestown Foundation, a position he began in Fall 2023. He returns to the foundation after having served as editor of China Brief from 2011 to 2013 and as a fellow in the China program from 2013 to 2018.
Most recently, Mr. Mattis was Senior Fellow with the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party on loan from the Special Competitive Studies Project where he served as Director for Intelligence. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the Senate-appointed staff director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) where he was a part of the legislative team that passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, Tibetan Policy and Support Act, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. He began his government career as a counterintelligence analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he earned exceptional performance awards for analytic leadership and community support.
Mr. Mattis has written and spoken widely about the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s politics, foreign policy, internal security, intelligence, and political influence activities – including testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, House Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and the European Parliament. Mr. Mattis’ writing and commentary have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, Sydney Morning Herald, Studies in Intelligence, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, War on the Rocks, and The National Interest. He also has been quoted in major media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, The Economist, BBC, The Guardian, and Süddeutsche Zeitung. Mattis is the author of Analyzing the Chinese Military: A Review Essay and Resource Guide on the People’s Liberation Army (2015) and co-author of Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer (2019)—both of which he wrote while a Jamestown fellow. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and Georgetown University.
Contact Peter Mattis
Articles by Peter Mattis
Divergent Implications for Xi’s Power From New Party Regulations
Executive Summary: Speculation is growing about a power struggle at the top of the Party. An announcement of new regulations for influential decision-making and coordinating bodies is a clear sign
Victory Parade Marks Steady March of China-Russia Relations
Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin and People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping showcased deepened political and military ties during Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations, affirming a shared
PRC Malign influence at Home and Abroad—Peter Mattis’s Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The following is a lightly edited version of testimony delivered by Jamestown President Peter Mattis. The testimony was delivered before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing held on
Rules for Thee, but Not for Me
Executive Summary: Beijing’s diplomatic rhetoric advocates upholding international rules and norms, but this diverges sharply from both its words to party officials at home and its actions abroad that undermine
Open Source and Our Crises of National Understanding
The challenges that face the United States and our allies require greater understanding on the parts of both government and society. Democratic governance means shared responsibilities. Citizens are not subjects.
Q&A: What was the Relationship Between the United Front System and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office?
Editor’s Note: Q&A articles are short responses to research queries that we have received from external readers, including government officials and journalists, and that we believe are useful to a
Introducing Jamestown Perspectives
At The Jamestown Foundation, we focus most of our efforts on understanding the world from the Bering Strait and the South China Sea to the Baltic and Mediterranean seas. The
Red Genes: Assessing WuXi AppTec’s Ties to the Party-Army-State in China
Executive Summary: WuXi AppTec, a major Chinese biotechnology and pharmaceutical firm, claimed that the company has not, does not, and will not pose a national security risk to any country
“Changes Unseen in a Century”: Seeking American Partnership in US Decline
In his opening remarks this week to US President Joe Biden, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping said “The China-US relationship, which is the most important bilateral relationship in the world,
The Cross-Strait Intelligence Contest Continues Without Quarter
Last week, the Taiwan High Court found retired air force Colonel Liu Sheng-shu (劉聖恕) and five serving military officers guilty of espionage for China. The court sentenced Colonel Liu and
Counterintelligence Remains Weakness in Taiwan’s Defense
On July 6, Taiwanese authorities charged recently-graduated Chinese student Zhou Hongxu with espionage, roughly four months after he was first detained on suspicion of spying for Beijing (Central News Agency
Peter Mattis Interviewed on Four Corners Regarding Chinese Influence Operations
Former Editor of China Brief Peter Mattis appeared in an investigative program about Chinese influence operations on the Australian TV show Four Corners.
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis Presents on China’s Central State Security Commission at IISS
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis and China Brief contributor Samantha Hoffman gave a presentation, "Managing the power within China’s Central State Security Commission," at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in
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
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
Jamestown Fellows Peter Mattis and Matt Brazil quoted in the Economist
The Economist quoted former China Brief Editor Peter Mattis and Matt Brazil. The article from November 12, "Happenstance and Enemy Action," discusses how world intelligence agencies are refocusing on China. Mattis
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis cited in Taiwan Legislative Yuan Session
An article by Peter Mattis, a current Fellow and former Editor of China Brief, was discussed during a session of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (Youtube [in Chinese], October 5). His article,
Three Scenarios for Understanding Changing PLA Activity in Cyberspace
At the end of November, Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a three-day Central Military Commission (CMC) forum on wide-ranging reform in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), hosting senior military
Peter Mattis writes for War on the Rocks on Chinese Intelligence
Jamestown Fellow and previous editor of China Brief Peter Mattis wrote a “Guide to Chinese Intelligence Operations” in War on the Rocks on August 18th
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis Writes for The National Interest on U.S. Intelligence
Jamestown Fellow and previous editor of China Brief Peter Mattis wrote an article in The National Interest on July 13th discussing the need of the U.S. intelligence community to build its corps of
Peter Mattis Cited by UPI on Chinese Military Espionage
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis' recent article in China Brief was cited by UPI on March 25 for an article on China's recent arrest of a taxi driver for spying for another
Cracking Down on Foreign Espionage Channels
On February 4, the Central Military Commission (CMC) issued a new revision of the Military Grassroots Construction Guidelines (jundui jiceng jianshe gangyao) for People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel. The guidelines
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis Writes in The National Interest on China’s Purge of Intel Official
On January 20, Jamestown Fellow and former China Brief editor Peter Mattis wrote an article in The National Interest on recent purges in China's intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis Quoted by Wall Street Journal
On January 16, Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis was quoted by the Wall Street Journal about the purge of a senior Chinese intelligence official.
Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis Writes for The National Interest
Jamestown Fellow and previous editor of China Brief Peter Mattis wrote an article in The National Interest on January 6 covering China's civil-military relations: "China's Military Is NOT Going Rogue."
China’s Espionage Against Taiwan (Part II): Chinese Intelligence Collectors
Chinese intelligence operations have long been understood in the West as somehow different than more familiar forms of espionage: inscrutable, undirected and largely run by amateurs. Like most modern states,
China’s Espionage Against Taiwan (Part I): Analysis of Recent Operations
The last few weeks put Chinese espionage against Taiwan back into the headlines with a series of arrests and sentencing pronouncements. In the first week of October, a Taiwanese court
ABC (Australia) Interviews Jamestown Fellow Peter Mattis on Chinese Intelligence
Peter Mattis discussed Chinese intelligence operations in Australia with ABC Australia's radio news program Late Night Live.
The Military Dimensions of NPC 2014
On March 4, Premier Li Keqiang delivered the annual Report on the Work of the Government to the National People’s Congress (NPC). In the small section on national defense, Premier
China Brief Editor Peter Mattis cited by Marketplace
China Brief Editor Peter Mattis was cited in an article published by Marketplace entitled: "Is China's Huawei a threat to our national security?"
Central Committee Roundup; Zhuhai Air Show Highlights Burgeoning Aerospace Industry
Central Committee Roundup The end of the 18th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) saw the announcement of a new Central Committee, including 205 full members and 171
Re-Popularizing Marxism: Li Changchun’s contribution to reform
On the eve of the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), propaganda czar Li Changchun gave a speech to a political theories seminar emphasizing the
Editor’s Note: Executive Summary for “China in 2012”
This set of essays takes China Brief away from current events, looking ahead at some of the key questions facing analysts in the coming year. The authors—Dennis Blasko, Bruce Gilley,
New Departments and Research Centers Highlight Military’s Concerns for the Future
When on November 22, 2011 the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) created the new Strategic Planning Department—consolidating and upgrading some lower-level planning functions—few could have anticipated the plethora of bureaucratic
Wukan Uprising Highlights Dilemmas of Preserving Stability
Since September, the residents of the Guangdong village Wukan have clashed with authorities over local government land seizures. Last week, however, Xue Jinbo, a village representative trying to negotiate with
Chinese Military Creates Strategic Planning Department
On November 22, Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Central Military Commission (CMC) issued a directive creating a “Strategic Planning Department” (zhanlüe guihua bu). The new department will fall under
Mekong Murders Spur Beijing to Push New Security Cooperation
On November 1, Chinese security officials and their counterparts from Burma, Laos and Thailand announced a new security initiative to make the Mekong River safe for commerce as it passes
Plenum Document Highlights Broad Role for Social Management; Rising Leaders Meet in Pyongyang
Plenum Document Highlights Broad Role for Social Management From October 15 to 18, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) convened the 6th Plenum of the 17th Central Committee to address China's
China’s European Satellite Launch Sets New Milestones; South Africa-China Deals Court Controversy; Putin Visits Beijing; New Sino-Kazakh Pipeline Deal Signed
China’s European Satellite Launch Sets New Milestones On October 7, a Chinese Long March-3 rocket blasted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, delivering a French Eutelsat communications satellite
Public Security Officially Joins the Blogosphere
On September 27, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced the national launch of "police microblogging construction" (gong’an weibo jianshe) as the newest element in its social management toolkit and
Shelving Differences While Hedging in the South China Sea
With the summer winding down along with the tensions in the South China Sea, China engaged the principle disputants of this round of regional tensions. China hosted Philippine President Benigno
General’s Spy Comments Reveal More Than Just Espionage
Remarks made by Major General Jin Yi’nan of China’s National Defense University at a conference earlier this year provide new insights into Beijing’s reaction to foreign espionage, which Jin believes
Civil-Military Integration Theme Marks PLA Day Coverage
The theme for this year’s annual People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Day press was civil-military integration (军民融合) for national defense. If Defense Minister Liang Guanglie’s article “Persevere in Civil-Military Integration with
China Reacts to Admiral Mullen Visit; Growth Imperative Challenges Even Chinese Security Regulations
China Reacts to Admiral Mullen Visit Beijing heralded US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, visit to China as an important step forward, signifying the normalization
Taiwan Espionage Cases Highlight Changes in Chinese Intelligence Operations
On June 13th, Taiwanese authorities detained businessman Lai Kun-chieh on charges that he spied for Beijing, attempting to steal military secrets for a still unidentified Chinese intelligence agency (Lianhe Xinwen,
China’s Adaptive Approach to the Information Counter-Revolution
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on May 12th announced a series of new measures that would enable the government to better track the migrant population, including stepping up
Assessing the Foreign Policy Influence of the Ministry of State Security
At the Chuzhou City national security leading group meeting last December, local officials appeared to overshadow municipal Ministry of State Security (MSS) officers despite the subject of the meeting—an Anhui
Shriver Case Highlights Traditional Chinese Espionage
Underneath the fanfare that greeted the FBI’s arrest of ten Russian intelligence officers in June, federal authorities quietly proceeded against a young Michigan man, Glenn Duffie Shriver, applying to the
The Strategic Vulnerability of China’s Reliance on Coal
China’s dramatic economic boom has focused attention on the strategic aspects of the country’s efforts to secure reliable energy supplies and satisfy its growing demand for oil and natural gas.