Latest Articles about PLA

MBZUAI Partners With US Tech, Collaborates With PLA Scientists
Editor's Note: This article is the second in a two-part series. The first part can be found here. In response to the previous article, The Jamestown Foundation received a letter from Eric Xing, President of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The letter... MORE

A ‘Chinese Starlink’ Launches New Era For Domestic Space Industry
Executive Summary: A commercial company has become the first enterprise in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to launch a batch of internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. PRC media has framed this “Qianfan” constellation as one of the country’s principal competitors to SpaceX’s Starlink. The... MORE

Joint Sword-2024A: Blockades and Gray Zone Tactics
Executive Summary: The “Joint Sword: 2024A” exercise marks a shift in military strategy by integrating China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces. This coordination enhances the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) ability to leverage maritime law enforcement resources to support military... MORE

‘A New Type of War of Unification’: Liu Mingfu on the American Civil War’s Relevance to Taiwan
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

Cognitive Domain Operations Against Vietnam Hint at Broader Ambitions
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

New China Coast Guard Regulation Buttresses PRC Aggression in the South China Sea
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

PRC Transfer of Military and Dual-Use Technology: the Case of the International Conference on Defence Technology
Executive Summary: The International Conference on Defence Technology (ICDT), held biannually since 2018, exemplifies an approach by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to leverage defense technology from Western researchers. The conference features participation from PRC defense entities and Western scientists, facilitating direct transfer of... MORE

Peng Liyuan Rises Up the Ranks: Implications for Xi’s Despotic Rule
Executive Summary: Recent behavior by General Secretary Xi Jinping suggests a contradiction in his approach to leadership. While he has sacked protégés, suggesting a reckoning with past personnel decisions, he continues to prioritize personal connections and loyalty over competence. This centralization of power is exemplified... MORE

A Disturbance in the Force: The Reorganization of People’s Liberation Army Command and Elimination of China’s Strategic Support Force
Executive Summary: Consolidation and refinement of military information power capabilities within the new Information Support Force (ISF) continues to reflect the PLA’s outsized emphasis on battlespace information control in multi-domain integrated joint operations. The April 2024 reorganization eliminated the Strategic Support Force and subordinated the... MORE

China’s People’s Armed Forces Departments: Developments Under Xi Jinping
Executive Summary: People’s Armed Forces Departments (PAFD), or People’s militias, have grown under Xi Jinping. This reflects apprehension about domestic security rather than any serious effort at wartime preparedness. PAFD units are staffed by military and civilian employees from local governments. They are responsible for... MORE