Executive Summary: A recent translation of a book by influential writer and retired PLA officer Liu Mingfu includes a previously censored chapter on a new approach to reunification with Taiwan, indicating that a wider range of approaches to the “Taiwan question” are in play than... MORE

Executive Summary: In June, Kazakhstan voiced its plans to declassify data on rare-earth and rare-metal deposits as well as a renewed effort to attract Western investment to mine and process the country’s vast reserves. Russia’s war against Ukraine has exposed the European Union and Western... MORE

Executive Summary: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Xinjiang underscores an expanding partnership with China, signaling a shift in Türkiye’s approach to the Uyghur issue and demonstrating a renewed focus on strengthening bilateral ties. Ankara seeks greater Chinese investment and a reduction in their trade imbalance amid severe economic struggles... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea and Vietnam to neutralize the diplomatic outcomes of the peace summit in Switzerland and prove Russia’s ability to maintain a high international profile. Nuclear saber-rattling and Moscow’s need for more artillery shells were high on Putin’s... MORE

Executive Summary: The acquisition of a 49 percent stake in a Georgian port by a state-backed consortium advances the PRC’s global port strategy—the PRC currently owns stakes in over 90 ports). As Xi Jinping has stated, “to become rich, one must first build ports.” A... MORE

Executive Summary: PRC Defense Minister Dong Jun’s experience in international military exchanges allowed him to showcase a blend of assertiveness in his speeches and a congenial rapport with foreign journalists during his appearance at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The Dialogue saw a notable... MORE

Executive Summary: The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC; 中国人民对外友好协会) is one united front organization among thousands that, along with its affiliate organizations, continues to work with numerous local government officials and organizations across the United States. CPAFFC supports people-to-people diplomacy, public... MORE

Executive Summary: Translation forms a crucial part of People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-directed research. This is done to support influence operations, enhance cooperation with the Russian military, and even understand US policy discussions on social media. Recent research from institutions such as the PLA Strategic Support... MORE

Executive Summary: The new “Regulation of the China Coast Guard (CCG) Organization on Enforcing Law and Order” formalizes the increasingly assertive actions taken by Chinese forces in parts of the South China Sea (SCS), empowering the CCG to detain foreign vessels and persons for up to... MORE

Executive Summary: Officials in Russia and the occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia decried Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s declaration that by 2030, Georgians will once again live with Abkhazians and Ossetians. Georgian Dream officials and propagandists have alluded to a backdoor agreement between... MORE