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RAND's China experts have examined a wide range of issues, including the country's military, political, and trade relations, especially with Taiwan and Japan; its environmental, economic, and health policies and prospects; and its international business and intellectual property (copyright) challenges.

Report
How China Understands and Assesses Military Balance
China sees itself as the weaker side in the overall military balance with the United States, largely because it has made only limited progress in the key areas that will define future warfare. Those include informatization and system-of-systems–based operations.
Mar 1, 2023
Research Brief
Prospects for U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia Security Cooperation
In a world now dominated by U.S. strategic competition with Russia and China, the obstacles to cooperation—particularly the absence of trust—are growing. Cooperation will be rare and narrowly focused, often limited to making strategic competition "safer."
Feb 20, 2023

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Blog
Immigration Policy, the Black-White Wealth Gap, ChatGPT: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges facing U.S. immigration policy, what it would take to close America's Black-white wealth gap, risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence, more.
May 26, 2023
Commentary
Beyond the 'Mine Shaft Gap': Navigating Threat Perceptions in the Sino-American Rivalry
In “Dr. Strangelove,” the “mine shaft gap” was an astute satirical concept that reflected the mindset that any perceived disadvantage between the United States and the Soviet Union posed an existential threat. Though fictional, this kind of calculation is not unheard of in real-life, modern-day thinking. Shrewd discernment could help avoid it as the United States pursues its national security objectives.
May 24, 2023
Report
Advancing Combat Support to Sustain Agile Combat Employment Concepts: Integrating Global, Theater, and Unit Capabilities to Improve Support to a High-End Fight
This report presents a framework to assess necessary elements of the combat support enterprise — including base, theater, and global resources — for operating in a hybrid push-pull system as a means to mitigate uncertainty and adversary actions.
May 23, 2023
Commentary
What Washington Gets Wrong About Deterrence
The war in Ukraine has depleted American military stockpiles in the short term. But such a shortfall may not necessarily affect U.S. deterrence.
May 22, 2023
Journal Article
Defend Taiwan with Naval Mines
As part of a porcupine strategy, mine warfare can make Taiwan less vulnerable to attack.
May 19, 2023
Commentary
Upcoming Presidential Election Will Clarify Taiwan's China Policy
Until the Taiwanese presidential election next January, China, the United States, and many other countries will be watching Taiwan with bated breath. Across the Indo-Pacific region and the world, the hope would simply be that no matter who is elected, peace and stability continue to prevail in the Taiwan Strait.
May 19, 2023
Testimony
Chinese Strategy in the Pacific and Implications for the United States
In recent years, Chinese attention has increasingly included Oceania. What has Chinese strategy been in the Freely Associated States and U.S. territories in the Pacific? What are some policy recommendations for Congress and the U.S. government to consider going forward?
May 16, 2023
Commentary
Biden Hopes for Vietnam Breakthrough
The United States wants to intensify U.S.-Vietnam ties, because the two countries share long-term strategic interests. Vietnam seems perfectly fine with things dragging on for years in their current state, avoiding a final decision, or even getting cold feet in the end. Washington would be wise to manage expectations for now.
May 12, 2023
Report
Deterring Threats from Uncertain Origins: Havana Syndrome, SolarWinds, and the Chinese Mafia
“Havana Syndrome,” an unexplained illness first experienced by U.S. diplomatic personnel in Cuba in 2016, illustrates the challenge of responding to national security threats when those threats—as well as the actors and methods behind them—are ambiguous.
May 11, 2023
Commentary
Defending Taiwan with Artificial Reefs
Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is arguably the most important defense problem of the next few decades. Artificial reefs could help to deter China simply by waiting to impale any potential invasion force.
May 10, 2023
Report
Alternative Futures Following a Great Power War: Volume 1, Scenarios, Findings, and Recommendations
RAND researchers generated four plausible near-term great power war scenarios and assessed how they could shape the postwar strategic environment.
May 9, 2023
Research Brief
The Aftermath of a Great Power War
A review of historical great power wars shows that prewar predictions about who would fight, how long the war would last, and how the world would look afterward were often wrong. It's important to understand what the outcomes of different conflicts could look like and how to better prepare for them.
May 9, 2023
Journal Article
Is China Planning to Attack Taiwan? A Careful Consideration of Available Evidence Says No
Is China preparing to invade Taiwan within the next two decades? In the past year, fears that war could break out in the Taiwan Strait have grown palpable, owing in large part to the shock of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
May 5, 2023
Journal Article
Could Beijing Risk a Diversionary War Against Taiwan?
The combination of a weakening strategic situation and an increasingly despotic regime has left Xi with few constraints on his power, leaving many to fear that he could risk military adventurism as a diversion from China's deteriorating situation.
May 5, 2023
Journal Article
Wargames Can't Tell Us How to Deter a Chinese Attack on Taiwan — But Different Games Might
Wargames that simulate combat between the United States and China near Taiwan can provide useful insight about potential military challenges.
May 5, 2023
Blog
Violence in Sudan, Alcohol Use, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the violence in Sudan, preventing alcohol-related deaths, the North Korean nuclear threat, and more.
Apr 28, 2023
Report
Characterizing the Uncrewed Systems Industrial Base
The Department of Defense has hypothesized that future demand for uncrewed systems (UxS) will strain the capacity of the defense industrial base (DIB). This report contains an analysis of UxS demand and recommendations on strengthening the DIB.
Apr 26, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition Outside the Indo-Pacific and Europe
The United States, China, and Russia are competing for influence in secondary theaters like Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Where and why could competition turn into conflict, and what form might that conflict take?
Apr 25, 2023
Commentary
A Civilian U.S. 'Joint Chiefs' for Economic Competition with China?
China's aggressive activities are presenting a serious, sustained challenge to the international order. To position itself for this new era, the United States could create a civilian equivalent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a mandate to manage the expanding role of U.S. civilian departments in geopolitical and economic competition.
Apr 24, 2023
Blog
Environmental Justice, Mental Health Care, Insomnia: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on environmental justice, access to mental health care, why America should stick with Europe. and more.
Apr 21, 2023

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