Analysis includes commentary-style pieces by members of the ChinaPower team and other invited experts. Analysis articles supplement our in-depth, data-driven ChinaPower features with timely assessments of key issues related to Chinese power.
Work continues apace on a rapid buildup of China’s navy. Recent satellite imagery of Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard shows continued progress on China’s third aircraft carrier, a new Type 075 amphibious assault ship, and several other new vessels.
From October 17–18, China hosted the third Belt and Road forum, during which Xi Jinping met one-on-one with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Read analysis of the Xi-Putin meeting and forum by members of the China Power Project.
As demand for Chinese-made vehicles rises, Chinese shipyards are receiving record numbers of orders for “roll on-roll off” (ro-ro) ships, which are specifically designed to ferry vehicles. While these ships appear innocuous, the Chinese military is making use of ro-ros to enhance its capabilities.
In August 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to South Africa to attend the 15th BRICS Summit. Analyzing the summit, ChinaPower’s Brian Hart argues China scored diplomatic successes while also stumbling from self-inflicted setbacks.
Misinformation has spread online about China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, with netizens posting images that purportedly show large cracks in the vessel’s deck. This ChinaPower analysis uses satellite imagery to debunk these claims.
As part of ongoing efforts to modernize China’s navy, work is currently underway to transform Shanghai’s Changxing Island into a colossal “shipbuilding base.” Satellite imagery shows the island’s facilities are being rapidly expanded to make room for the relocation of another shipyard.
Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) violations have become Beijing’s most frequently used method of applying “gray zone” pressure against Taiwan. In this article, guest author Ben Lewis analyzes key trends in China’s ADIZ violations in 2022.
Satellite imagery reveals that China is investing in a significant, long-term military presence near Pangong Tso, a remote lake that straddles the hotly contested China-India border.
