Aidan Powers-Riggs

Associate Fellow for China Studies, iDeas Lab
Aidan Powers-Riggs

Aidan Powers-Riggs is an associate fellow for China Studies with the iDeas Lab at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he primarily supports the Hidden Reach special initiative. Previously, he researched China’s foreign and security policies and U.S.-China tech competition at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), the Asia Society Policy Institute, the China Power Project at CSIS, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Aidan earned an MA in Asian studies with an emphasis in politics and security at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University. He earned his BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in political science and a minor in professional writing.

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Audio Briefs

New Activity at Possible Chinese Intelligence Facilities in Cuba

An audio version of "⁠New Activity at Possible Chinese Intelligence Facilities in Cuba⁠," a new commentary by CSIS’s Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Aidan Powers-Riggs. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Aidan Powers-Riggs — June 18, 2026

Audio Briefs

A New Supercarrier Emerges

China’s fourth aircraft carrier is rapidly taking shape at Dalian Shipyard. Satellite imagery reveals a vessel likely to be larger and more advanced than its predecessors, with evidence suggesting it may be China’s first nuclear-powered carrier.

Digital Feature by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — May 21, 2026

Audio Briefs

The U.S.-China Trade Truce Has Not Solved the Gallium Problem

An audio version of “⁠The U.S.-China Trade Truce Has Not Solved the Gallium Problem⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Aidan Powers-Riggs, Brian Hart, and Matthew P. Funaiole. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Aidan Powers-Riggs, Brian Hart, and Matthew P. Funaiole — May 11, 2026

Audio Briefs

The Strait of Hormuz in 8 Charts

As the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz drags on, new vessel-tracking and trade data reveal the state of play in the strait and explore how the crisis is rattling global markets.

Commentary by Matthew P. Funaiole, Harrison Prétat, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Jasper Verschuur — April 22, 2026

No One, Not Even Beijing, Is Getting Through the Strait of Hormuz

As war chokes off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Chinese ships are not getting special treatment. New ship-tracking data shows Chinese vessels have largely halted transits, underscoring Beijing’s exposure to instability in a region critical to its energy security.

Commentary by Harrison Prétat, Monica Sato, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Matthew P. Funaiole — March 6, 2026

Audio Briefs

No One, Not Even Beijing, Is Getting Through the Strait of Hormuz

An audio version of “⁠No One, Not Even Beijing, Is Getting Through the Strait of Hormuz⁠,” a new Commentary by Harrison Prétat, Monica Sato, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Matthew P. Funaiole. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Harrison Prétat, Monica Sato, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Matthew P. Funaiole — March 6, 2026

Audio Briefs

Panama Kicked Out Hutchison, but Port Risks Remain

A new Risk Index shows China’s influence over key ports in Latin America and the Caribbean would increase if Chinese-owned COSCO gained a stake in the remaining ports.

Analysis by Henry Ziemer, Jaehyun Han, and Aidan Powers-Riggs — February 2, 2026