Through its publications, INSS provides rigorous, forward‑looking research and analysis on critical national security issues that support the joint warfighter and inform Department of War decision‑makers.
March 9, 2026
INSS joins OSD Historical Office Speaker Series
On 4 March, Dr. Phillip Saunders and Dr. Joel Wuthnow spoke about their co-authored book, China’s Quest for Military Supremacy, to an audience of 180 people at the Pentagon as part of the OSD Historical Office Speaker Series.
March 2, 2026
Why Is Xi Still Purging His Generals?
The removal of PLA senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli in January 2026 represented the peak, if not the end, of a massive purge of the military leadership that began in mid-2023.
Feb. 25, 2026
Assessing Xi’s Unprecedented Purges of China’s Military: Key Developments and Potential Implications
On January 24, 2026, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that the military’s top general, Zhang Youxia, and the chief of the Joint Staff Department, Liu Zhenli, had been placed under investigation for serious disciplinary and legal violations.
The Danger in the Middle: Will Xi’s Purges Increase the Risk of War?
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has purged dozens of senior People’s Liberation Army officers since mid-2023, including two in January, but will this increase the risk of war?
Feb. 19, 2026
To Prevent a Great Power War: Conflict Prevention Efforts and Possibilities by the U.S. and China
War between rivalrous great powers (GPW) often is not a deliberate choice.
Feb. 5, 2026
Xi’s military purges will make him wary of invading Taiwan
On 25 January, China’s People’s Liberation Army announced that Central Military Commission Vice-Chair Zhang Youxia and Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Liu Zhenli were under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.”
Feb. 4, 2026
America risks a nuclear-arms race with China
On 3 February, INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip Saunders was quoted in The Economist in the story, “America risks a nuclear-arms race with China."
Jan. 20, 2026
INSS Contributes Chapter on "PLA High Command in a Protracted War" in Army War College Book
INSS China Center Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joel Wuthnow published a chapter on “PLA High Command in a Protracted War: Four Scenarios” in a new Army War College book edited by Joshua Arostegui, The 2024 Carlisle Conference on the PLA: Protracted War Against the PRC.
Jan. 7, 2026
China’s Use of Force on Taiwan: Impact on PLA Capabilities
The US Department of Defense assesses that China has the capability to execute a blockade or punitive missile strike against Taiwan.
Dec. 16, 2025
Dr. Tom Lynch Contributes U.S. Chapter to The Palgrave Geopolitical Atlas
"Chapter 2: United States" in The Palgrave Geopolitical Atlas: State and Quasi-State Actors in Great Power Competition is part of a comprehensive 54-chapter edited book that examines global state and quasi-state interactions in the new era of Great Power Competition.