1945 – James Holmes writes that for decades China-watchers have debated what form a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) offensive against Taiwan might take. An onslaught seems to be coming

Global Times – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently commissioned a newly developed hospital ship, which will serve as a mobile medical force in the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea in missions including military and civilian medical support, international humanitarian aid and emergency rescue.

National Interest – James Holmes writes that as a military strategy, containment presents several powerful options for the loose grouping of Quad countries to push back on Chinese aggression.

Breaking Defense – Dean Cheng writes that China has laid out the broad goals and objectives for its 14^th Five Year Plan (FYP), which will extend from 2021 to 2025, and one of the priorities is “elevating the level of national security.”

National Interest – The Russian-Chinese relationship is moving forward.

National Interest – It remains unclear if the Chinese trimaran will even be built for the PLA Navy.

War Zone – Recently revealed video provides, for the first time, a clear, up-close look at China’s future carrier-based multirole fighter, the Shenyang J-15T, which is derived from the Russian-made Su-33 Flanker-D. Unlike previous Chinese carrier variants of the Flanker, this one importantly features the modifications required to operate from its future catapult-equipped carriers.

War Zone – The test could represent the first full demonstration of a real Chinese long-range anti-ship ballistic missile capability.

Naval News – Submarine expert H I Sutton takes a close look at China’s Type 039A submarine and explains what makes it the most powerful attack submarine in the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s arsenal.

China Maritime Studies Institute – Force structure projections of an adversary’s potential order of battle are an essential input into the strategic planning process. Currently, the majority of predictions regarding China’s future naval buildup are based on a simple extrapolation of the impressive historical ship construction rate and shipyard capacity, without acknowledging that the political and economic situation in China has changed dramatically.

Naval News – H I Sutton sheds some light on China’s latest aircraft carrier killer: The CH-AS-X-13 air-launched anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM).

Global Times – China’s first domestically made aircraft carrier, the Shandong, has completed regular testing and training missions at sea that focused on actual combat after serving in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy for 10 months.

China Daily – An anti-submarine aircraft operated by the PLA Navy has received a lot of publicity recently after a series of patrols along the Taiwan Straits.

China Maritime Studies Institute – The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been laying the organizational groundwork for far seas operations for nearly two decades, developing logistical and command infrastructure to support a “near seas defense and far seas protection” strategy. In the context of such a strategy, the PLAN’s ability to project power into the far seas depends upon its ability to dominate the near seas, effectively constituting a “sword and shield” approach. Along with the rest of the PLA, the PLAN’s peacetime command structure has been brought into line with its wartime command structures, and in terms of near seas defense, those command structures have been streamlined and made joint. By contrast, the command arrangements for far seas operations have not been clearly delineated and no one organ or set of organs has been identified as responsible for them. While this is manageable in the context of China’s current, limited far seas operational presence, any meaningful increase in the size, scope, frequency, and intensity of far seas operations will require further structural reforms at the Central Military Commission and theater command levels in order to lay out clear command responsibilities.

South China Morning Post – Beijing is stepping up the militarisation of its southeast coast as it prepares for a possible invasion of Taiwan, military observers and sources have said.

CIMSEC – As strategic competition heats up between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is seemingly at a disadvantage when compared to China’s ability to mobilize and militarize commercial enterprises with plausible deniability like its vast distant-water fishing fleet. In order to adequately counter China’s aggressive overseas fishing fleet, the U.S. should rely on a combination of technology and global volunteerism.

CIMSEC – Using data and insight from Windward, a predictive maritime intelligence platform, our analysis examines how this fishing phenomenon has evolved over time and who is behind this increasingly intensive fishing effort.

National Interest – James Holmes writes that Xi recently exhorted Chinese marines to devote their “minds and energy” to “preparing for war.” Much of the message was meant for the U.S. and Taiwan.

South China Morning Post – China’s marine corps will have more training in joint operations to bolster combat strength as the country’s security risks increase at home and abroad.

Global Times – China’s domestically developed 10,000 ton-class Type 055 guided missile destroyer can counter stealth aircraft and low-Earth orbit satellites, a state-owned media has recently revealed for the first time, leading Chinese experts to say on Sunday that the capabilities will give Chinese forces a key edge over their opponents in modern warfare.

China Daily – A Chinese navy flotilla returned to the port city of Zhoushan in East China’s Zhejiang province Wednesday after completing its mission of escorting civilian vessels in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.

USNI News – As China pushes to become a blue-water power, nuclear-powered submarines are critically important to Beijing’s plan. Historically the Chinese Navy’s (PLAN) nuclear-powered submarine fleet has been constrained by its limited construction capacity. There is only one shipyard in the country up to the task. But that yard has been undergoing a massive enlargement. And now, recent satellite imagery suggests an additional capacity expansion.

The Guardian – China represents a strategic threat to Britain as its navy could reach the North Atlantic via the Arctic by a route opened up by global heating, the head of the Royal Navy has said.

South China Morning Post – China launched a new maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday – the largest and most advanced to join its civilian fleet – as tensions rise between Beijing and its neighbours over the disputed South China Sea.

CIMSEC – Aiki is a fundamental principle in Japanese martial arts philosophy that encapsulates the idea of using minimal exertion and control to negate or redirect an adversary’s strength to achieve advantage. The legitimacy of the CCP’s leadership rests on a core foundation of economic strength and growth, as well as prestige. Due to China’s geography, the principal artery of this economic growth is through the maritime approaches of the SCS. The most direct way to affect CCP behavior is to consider how the free flow of goods and energy at sea through the maritime approaches of the SCS may be altered. And by alternating these maritime flows, further impacts and restructuring of trade-flows and global supply chains may also occur.