Aidan Powers-Riggs

Research Associate for China Analysis, iDeas Lab
Aidan Powers-Riggs

Aidan Powers-Riggs is a research associate for China analysis 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.

All Aidan Powers-Riggs Content

Filter by

1 - 9 of 9 results
Audio Briefs

China’s Massive Next-Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Takes Shape

An audio version of “China’s Massive Next-Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Takes Shape,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — August 2, 2024

Audio Briefs

China’s Massive Next-Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Takes Shape

New satellite imagery shows China’s rapid progress on the construction of a brand new class of warship, the Type 076 landing helicopter assault (LHA) ship. Once complete, it will be the largest vessel of its type in the world.

Commentary by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — August 1, 2024

Secret Signals: Decoding China’s Intelligence Activities in Cuba

In 2023, U.S. officials acknowledged that China operates spy facilities in Cuba, but details have remained scarce. New satellite imagery offers an unprecedented look at four active sites in Cuba most likely to be supporting China’s efforts to spy on the United States.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Aidan Powers-Riggs, Brian Hart, Henry Ziemer, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Ryan C. Berg, and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — July 1, 2024

Skirting the Shores: China’s New High-Tech Research Ship Probes the Waters around Taiwan

In late 2023, an advanced Chinese research vessel known as the Zhu Hai Yun circumnavigated Taiwan in a rare move that appears intended to challenge Taiwan and probe the environment around the island. This Hidden Reach Snapshot reveals the vessel’s ties to China’s military.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Brian Hart — February 26, 2024

Surveying the Seas: China’s Dual-Use Research Operations in the Indian Ocean

China is deploying dozens of civilian vessels to survey the world’s oceans. While these ships support scientific and commercial objectives, they can also help China’s navy understand the maritime environment as it ventures into less familiar waters like the Indian Ocean.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, and Aidan Powers-Riggs — January 10, 2024

Submarine Diplomacy

Recent satellite imagery reveals China’s use of submarine diplomacy to advance its interests along the strategically important Bay of Bengal. Beijing’s efforts there could help its navy gain access to facilities to support operations in the region.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Jennifer Jun — November 17, 2023

Mineral Monopoly: China’s Control over Gallium Is a National Security Threat

China has secured a virtual monopoly over gallium, a critical mineral used to produce microchips in advanced military technologies. Failing to de-risk gallium supply chains could have serious security and economic consequences for the United States and its allies.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, and Aidan Powers-Riggs — July 18, 2023

Frozen Frontiers: China’s Great Power Ambitions in the Polar Regions

Chinese scientific research and commercial investments in the Arctic and Antarctica have elevated China’s voice in polar affairs, but its growing physical footprint in the world’s most remote frontiers also advance China’s broader strategic and military interests.

Digital Report by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Aidan Powers-Riggs — April 18, 2023