Sept. 1, 2022

Fortior Simul – Stronger Together

Problem Statement: China's vice-like actions to expand its sphere of influence require an Asian security pact modeled after Europe's North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). For years, China has been engaging in malicious activities in the INDOPACOM AOR to disrupt the West and establish regional dominance in Asia. China is systematically isolating and exploiting minor countries in the region through economic influence, the "One-Belt, One Road" initiative, FONO (Freedom of Navigation and Overflight) denial, territorial waters and island disputes, and active space and cyberspace campaign. Why is this occurring, and what can stop it? The minor countries in the AOR cannot oppose the Chinese as individual nations; therefore, they must establish a robust security pact, like Europe's NATO.

Aug. 31, 2021

Dismantling the Clausewitzian Trinity: How China is Eroding the Means and Will of the United States to Punch Back

Frequently overlooked, China undercuts America’s innovative advantage through the purposeful use of its diaspora in US research labs and universities, which eventually reduces the asymmetries that we can bring to the battlefield. Increasingly, irregular threats and competition below the level of armed conflict thrive in permissive environments—indeed within the homeland, create a multifaceted problem for the US military, and require globally integrated operations to protect the homeland and US interests. Taking all of this into consideration, it seems that China’s strategic aims are not oriented on building its military power, but instead on winning the next great war without a shot fired.

Aug. 1, 2021

A Whole-of-Government Response to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative

The U.S. response to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) might serve as the first—and best—litmus test for how both nations might manage the shifting geostrategic relationship. To achieve its strategic objectives, the U.S. will need to bring to bear the full weight of its instruments of national power. This paper will assess U.S. challenges and opportunities concerning the BRI through a strategic lens consisting of the diplomatic, informational, military, and economic (DIME) instruments of power. It will deliver key decision makers an array of options to consider as the U.S. seeks to address the BRI.