Latest Articles about China and the Asia-Pacific
Russia Exports Its Missile Early-Warning Knowhow to China
Russo-Chinese relations continue to improve (see EDM, July 25, 30) as both countries’ ties with the United States have grown increasingly strained. Moscow and Beijing describe their bilateral relationship as a “strategic partnership,” constantly adding new adjectives to emphasize its evolving strength. The People’s Republic... MORE
Editor’s Note for Military-Civil Fusion Issue (October 2019)
Editor’s Note: This is a special theme issue of China Brief, focused on the evolving concept of “military-civil fusion” (军民融合, junmin ronghe), or MCF, a complex set of initiatives by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to share resources between the military and civilian industry.... MORE
Military-Civil Fusion: Beijing’s “Guns AND Butter” Strategy to Become a Technological Superpower
Note: This article leverages previous research and analysis on China’s military-civil fusion strategy by Pointe Bello, a strategic intelligence and advisory firm specializing in China. Introduction A great gamble is underway in China, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to introduce new concepts that... MORE
The Limitations of Military-Civil Mobilization: Problems with Funding and Clashing Interests in Industry-Based PLA Reserve Units
Introduction One of the foundational concepts in Mao Zedong’s thought is that mobilization and “People’s War” (人民战争, renmin zhanzheng) depend on the masses and militia. [1] This concept is the basis for the way that the leaders of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continue... MORE
Military-Civil Fusion and Electromagnetic Spectrum Management in the PLA
Introduction: EMSM as a Key Element of “Military-Civil Fusion” Modern battlefield environments will contain a greater proliferation of electromagnetic emitters than ever before—including but not limited to radars, communications networks, and jamming systems—employed by many different platforms across multiple warfare domains. As a result, electromagnetic... MORE
China’s Military Biotech Frontier: CRISPR, Military-Civil Fusion, and the New Revolution in Military Affairs
Introduction China’s national strategy of military-civil fusion (军民融合, junmin ronghe) has highlighted biology as a priority. [1] It is hardly surprising that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is looking to leverage synergies among defense, scientific, and commercial developments in biological interdisciplinary (生物交叉, shengwu jiaocha)... MORE
The New Potemkin Village: Russia in the Far East
Moscow’s vaunted “pivot to the East” did not begin when Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in 2012. Instead, it dates back to late 2006, when he ordered the development of the Russian Far East and Siberia. Others may prefer to believe it began with... MORE
Turkmenistan’s Gas Exports Hampered by Geopolitical Realities
On August 12, during the Caspian Economic Forum in Turkmenistan, Russia and Iran expressed their discontent regarding the long-proposed Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCP) project (see EDM, September 4). Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stressed that all “major Caspian Sea projects should undergo an impartial environmental... MORE
Russia Completes Massive Tsentr 2019 War Games With Enhanced Chinese Participation
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave a rare lengthy interview to the popular paper Moskovsky Komsomolets—the first in seven years, since being appointed to head the Ministry of Defense in November 2012. Speaking with the news outlet, Shoigu lauded his unparalleled achievements in restoring Russia’s... MORE