On China

Defense and Military

Satellite imagery of Chinese military base in Djibouti

Imagery: Copyright © 2026 by Planet

Extended Range: China Upgrades Its Military Base in Djibouti

China’s military has added two new communications facilities at its overseas base in Djibouti, strengthening its ability to operate far from home and likely collect intelligence across the Middle East and Africa.

Digital Feature by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Douglas Comstock — September 17, 2026

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Red Kraken: The Coming Age of Agentic Cyber Strategy

In a tabletop exercise, members of Congress faced Red Kraken, an AI agent trained to emulate Beijing. Benjamin Jensen and Emily Harding examine how China could target ports and logistics to delay U.S. mobilization and argue for AI-enabled gaming to strengthen cyber defenses.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Emily Harding — July 28, 2026

Wartime Footing: A Two-Front Strategy to Confront China and Russia

The United States and its allies face a growing threat from an axis led by China and Russia. This report outlines a two-war planning construct focused on Asia and Europe, and a wartime industrial base focused on low-cost unmanned systems and long-range precision strike.

Report by Seth G. Jones, Seamus P. Daniels, Riley McCabe, and Daniel Byman — June 8, 2026

Revisiting the Relationship Between Economic and Sea Power

Sea power begins with economic power. MAP and the SHIPS Act seek to rebuild the maritime industrial base—shipyards, mariners, logistics networks, and commercial fleets—that underpins U.S. naval strategy and will bolster U.S. maritime competitiveness against China.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Mackenzie Eaglen — May 22, 2026

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

The AI Escalation Danger Trump and Xi Must Address

As Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on May 14–15 to discuss the future of U.S.-China AI cooperation, concerns are growing over escalatory tendencies in models like DeepSeek. Common AI benchmarking may offer a path toward safer development.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Yasir Atalan — May 12, 2026

Is the United States Prepared for a War with China?

Despite recent progress, the U.S. military would face serious challenges fighting a protracted war with China because of a lack of long-range munitions, air defense systems, and unmanned systems, along with vulnerable bases and critical infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific.

Brief by Seth G. Jones — May 12, 2026