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 10, 2026
INSS briefs NATO Committee on Proliferation about 'China’s Nuclear Weapons Posture and Launch on Warning'
On 6 March, INSS China Center Director Dr. Phillip Saunders briefed the NATO Committee on Proliferation about “China’s Nuclear Weapons Posture and Launch on Warning.”
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.
Feb. 25, 2026
Strategic Assessment 2025: Evolving Great Power Competition at Mid-Decade
This mid-decade review of contemporary Great Power competition is most welcome because it presents U.S. political leadership and the national security community with an opportunity to reflect on the inherent challenges in this latest round of geopolitical rivalry. Although the turn toward contestation among the United States, China, and Russia (as well as others) was formally acknowledged by Washington first in its 2017 National Security Strategy, Great Power competition had never disappeared from the international system even during the halcyon days after the Cold War’s ending.
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?
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. 11, 2025
The Challenge of a Rising, Nuclear-Armed China
This National Institute for Public Policy article examines several specific developments in China’s nuclear arsenal, which, coupled with Beijing’s aggressive foreign policy, hold sobering implications for U.S. national security interests.
Nov. 17, 2025
China’s "near space" legal warfare
A recurring Chinese narrative about so-called "near space" is an expression of the People's Liberation Army doctrine of Legal Warfare.
Sept. 15, 2025
Taming the Hegemon: Chinese Thinking on Countering U.S. Military Intervention in Asia
This report assesses recent Chinese thinking on countering U.S. intervention in Asia, specifically in a Taiwan contingency.
The Greatest Danger in the Taiwan Strait
Dr. Joel Wuthnow writes a piece for Foreign Affairs on how a war between China and Taiwan could result from an accident or miscalculation that spirals out of control.