Meeting China's Military Challenge

Overview

The Pentagon calls China's military challenge its pacing threat. Unlike Russia, North Korea, Iran, or other global threats, China's military can confront the United States on nearly equal terms. China’s extraordinary military rise—from peasant army to multi-domain threat—has forced the United States to adapt strategically. Familiarity with this challenge is essential for anyone interested in U.S. national security. Meeting China's Military Challenge will provide participants with a deeper understanding of China’s military rise and its impact on U.S. national security, providing key insights into one of the most crucial issues in U.S. defense today.

On the initial day of the program, join CSIS scholars and practitioners in a series of interactive seminars focused on China’s strategy, military rise, and the U.S. response. On the second day, engage in a CSIS wargame, applying knowledge from the first day of the course in a hands-on simulation modeling a U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan. Teams will move air and naval forces, strike at opponents, and wage a ground campaign on Taiwan in a dynamic free-play wargame where either side can win. The course concludes with a session on lessons learned from the wargame. 

Curriculum

Seminars

• China under Xi: Politics, Prospects, and the Threat of War
  • China’s military buildup and increasingly nationalistic rhetoric do not make conflict inevitable, but they do make conflict plausible. How is President Xi changing China, and what are his goals?
• The Western Pacific Context: Taiwan and Japan
  • Conflicts do not happen in a vacuum. U.S.-China competition affects every country in the western Pacific, particularly Taiwan and Japan. How are they reacting?
• China’s Military Capabilities
  • China has transformed its military from a peasant army into a modern and highly technological force designed for the specific needs of a western Pacific conflict. What does China's military look like today, how is it different from the past, and what might it look like in the future?
• U.S. and Allied Military Capabilities
  • The United States has responded to the Chinese military challenge with new programs and a changed force posture. What changes are occurring now and what might happen in the future?

Wargame

Meeting China’s Military Challenge presents participants with the unique opportunity to employ their insights from the first day of the program in a highly realistic simulation of a U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan. In this immersive exploration of modern warfare and strategic decision-making, participants will set grand strategy, direct complex military operations, and make critical decisions about the use of force.

Since its first publication in January 2023, the CSIS wargame has become a widely cited standard across the national security community (see The First Battle of the Next War). With more than 50 sessions conducted for diverse audiences and evolving scenarios, it offers unparalleled insight into one of today’s most critical flashpoints. The wargame features more than 850 unit counters, representing military forces from the U.S., China, Taiwan, and Japan. Participants will command air and naval operations across a 5’ by 6’ map of the western Pacific, while a separate Taiwan map sets the stage for intense ground combat.

By the end of the wargame, participants will have an in-depth understanding of the military challenges faced by both China and the United States and how strategy, assumptions, and operational choices affect the overall outcome.

Eligibility

CSIS is seeking a professionally diverse cohort of mid-career practitioners with 5 to 10 years of experience from across the U.S. and international military, government, private sector, and academic communities interested in increasing their knowledge of defense and security. Applicants may be seeking a baseline understanding of U.S. defense issues broadly and/or deeper insights into particular areas important to U.S. or Pacific defense. The course is structured to accommodate this range of learning. The selection committee will consider candidates' professional background as well as demonstrated interest in the fields of international security, defense, or other related areas.

How to Register

The online registration form includes a statement of interest, brief bio, and attachment of a resume.

Alumni

Previous and current participants include representatives from:

Central Intelligence Agency, Harvard University Kennedy School, IBM, Institute for Defense Analyses, Marine Corps University Krulak Center, Morgan Stanley, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), National Defense University, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Royal Australian Air Force, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), U.A.E. Ministry of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Victorian Government Australia Trade and Investment Office, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army War College.