Home to some of the world’s largest economies and populations, Asia has become a major focus for global policymaking in the twenty-first century. CSIS’s Asia portfolio includes research on defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, regional trade and economic security, global competition with China, and more.

Photo: Zhang Jiansong/Xinhua via Getty Images

Photo: Zhang Jiansong/Xinhua via Getty Images

China’s Weaponization of Dual-Use Research Vessels for Undersea Data Dominance

Analysis of 223 vessels finds that Chinese research ships spend an unusually large share of time near subsea infrastructure on the high seas. The findings call for stronger allied monitoring, coordinated patrols, and faster cable repair.

Report by Jose M. Macias III, Tao-Hung Chang, Nico Vacca, and Benjamin Jensen — October 8, 2026

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Victor Cha

Victor Cha

President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair
Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Bonny Lin

Bonny Lin

Director, China Power Project and Senior Adviser
Scott Kennedy

Scott Kennedy

Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics
Nicholas Szechenyi

Nicholas Szechenyi

Vice President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Senior Fellow, Japan Chair
Matthew P. Funaiole

Matthew P. Funaiole

Vice President, iDeas Lab, Andreas C. Dracopoulos Chair in Innovation and Senior Fellow, China Power Project
Gregory B. Poling

Gregory B. Poling

Director and Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Alek Jovovic

Alek Jovovic

Deputy Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Ilaria Mazzocco

Ilaria Mazzocco

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics
Photo: CSIS

Kathryn Paik

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Australia Chair
Shreya Nath

Shreya Nath

Senior Fellow, Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics
Karl Smith

Karl Smith

Senior Fellow, Economic Security and Technology Department
Yuko Nakano

Yuko Nakano

Associate Director, U.S.-Japan Strategic Leadership Program and Fellow, Japan Chair
Brian Hart

Brian Hart

Deputy Director and Fellow, China Power Project
Harrison Prétat

Harrison Prétat

Deputy Director and Fellow, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Hugh Nolan Grant-Chapman

Hugh Grant-Chapman

Fellow, Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business
Aman Thakker

Aman Thakker

Fellow, Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics
Ryuhei Ono

Ryuhei Ono

Visiting Fellow, Critical Minerals Security Program

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China's Power: Up for Debate 2026

Join in-person or online for one of CSIS's premier annual China conferences. Hear discussions and debates on core issues underpinning China's power and U.S.-China relations. 

Event — October 28, 2026

Without Parallel: North Korean Human Rights and the Russia Axis

CSIS and the George W. Bush Institute are inviting you to an event, Without Parallel: North Korean Human Rights and the Russia Axis, featuring a panel discussion refocusing attention on North Korean human rights by examining conditions at the Alabuga drone-production facilities in Russia. 

Event — October 14, 2026

China’s Weaponization of Dual-Use Research Vessels for Undersea Data Dominance

Analysis of 223 vessels finds that Chinese research ships spend an unusually large share of time near subsea infrastructure on the high seas. The findings call for stronger allied monitoring, coordinated patrols, and faster cable repair.

Report by Jose M. Macias III, Tao-Hung Chang, Nico Vacca, and Benjamin Jensen — October 8, 2026

The New Sanctioning Russia Act: Optics for Now, Leverage for Later

The United States just passed a sanctions bill aimed at Russia's oil revenues, but its real leverage may be the tariff abilities embedded inside it. India, the second-largest buyer of Russian crude, may become the law’s first real test.

Commentary by Shashwat Kumar — October 5, 2026

Japan as a Maritime Great Power and the China Challenge

Join the CSIS Japan Chair for a discussion of Japan’s evolution as one of the world’s most significant maritime great powers, the challenges it faces from China, and the potential for U.S.-Japan cooperation.

Event — October 1, 2026

What Should Korea’s Take on “The Asian NATO” Be?

An Asian NATO is unlikely to be institutionalized in the near future. However, keeping the issue alive can serve as an aspirational goal. That aspiration will push Korea to further strengthen all the layers of its multi-layered security architecture.

Newsletter by Ho-Young Ahn — October 1, 2026

The Asia Chessboard

Countering Asia's Axis of Authoritarianism

Mike is joined by Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens to discuss how regime survival concerns among the Indo-Pacific’s authoritarian powers are shaping their foreign relations and the region's broader strategic competition.

Podcast Episode by Michael J. Green — September 29, 2026

CSIS The Asia Chess Board