Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼

China & Indo-Pacific, Steelers & cocktails (Follows, RTs, Likes & Links ≠ Endorsement) **Views Mine**

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

Latest publication!

My pitch: The #US should update our methods of supply chain tracing dual use technology, and at the same time, insulate the #semiconductor industry through a multilateral allied cooperative tracing and customs agreement.

https://t.co/M64yqJxuba

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

Honored to publish “#China’s #Naval Advancement under Xi: Narrowing Gaps in Human Capacity” in Marine & Océans Magazine!

https://t.co/UtRUn4fFvU

Offers bilingual insights from latest @NavalWarCollege/@ChinaMaritime conference in leading Paris-based maritime affairs magazine. (French-language // Française: “L’humain, nouveau moteur de la puissance navale chinoise”)

⚓ For its leading #military operational scenarios, China enjoys geographic proximity; materiel, numerical & some range-related superiority; & a preponderance of multifarious missiles, munitions & other asymmetric capabilities that can compensate for many maritime weaknesses.

⚓ Given the nature of its objectives, China enjoys strategic focus & would almost certainly have 1st-mover advantage, & it has been working relentlessly to reduce deployment & indications & warnings timelines, which may be further blurred by increasingly large, frequent, realistic exercises.

⚓ New technologies & automation may offer further workarounds & disproportionate advantages; although such approaches may struggle to adapt to fast-evolving combat conditions, especially if data become access-constrained or unreliable.

⚓ This much is beyond dispute: as China continues its rapid military maritime advancement, human factors represent a key area to watch!

ATTN: @RollandNadege/@TheresaAFallon

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

Latest Edition of “Modern Chinese Maritime Forces”!

https://t.co/27JIcRNaen

Most comprehensive unclassified #OpenSource Order of Battle for #China’s sea services—the world’s largest #Navy, Coast Guard & Maritime Militia by number of ships.

Cutting-edge coverage of China’s growing nuclear-powered submarine force.

China’s Navy is simultaneously sustaining high-rate production, beginning a new generation of surface combatants & continuing comprehensive force expansion across the waterfront.

China’s Coast Guard & Maritime Militia are achieving similarly rapid advances.

Get a full-text PDF here: https://t.co/N5tVZfPqDD

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

Numerous PRC "fishing vessels" forming extremely long line formations...

Now where else have we seen this recently in the #EastChinaSea?

https://t.co/I01tT7a0pP

Time to consult The #China #MaritimeMilitia Bookshelf!

https://t.co/BmHGDNluwg

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

The #China #MaritimeMilitia Bookshelf:

Latest @DeptofWar & Other Assessments, Yellow-East-South China Seas Order of Battle, @Wikipedia + @Grokipedia Entries—& More!

https://t.co/U5ou6DPpco

A text-searchable #OpenSource & Open Access cornucopia compendium...

If you’re not familiar with #Grokipedia, you may be amazed with its dynamic source aggregation ability!

The #Wikipedia entries (now in Chinese, Japanese, Korean & Czech) have improved dramatically... but could still be far clearer, more complete & draw on far more authoritative sources—hope #Wikipedians will edit accordingly!

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

Check out the latest issue of CMSI Quarterly Review!

https://t.co/mozfvQRKWO

From @NavalWarCollege/@ChinaMaritime Studies Institute Director CAPT @ChrisHSharman, @USNavy (Ret.):

We are pleased to share the Fall/Winter double issue of the CMSI Quarterly Review, highlighting the #China #Maritime Studies Institute’s latest scholarship, media engagement, & institutional activities from August through December 2025.

The full volume is available for download at the link HERE, which also provides direct access to all China Maritime Reports, CMSI Notes, & CMSI Translations published during this period.

This issue features several notable highlights, including:

⚓ CMSI Professor @rdmartinson88’s article, “Exposed Undersea: PLA Navy Officer Reflections on China’s Not-So-Silent Service,” which was the most viewed article @CIMSEC in 2025.
⚓ For the 2nd consecutive year, CMSI’s edited volume, Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion, was selected for inclusion in the 2026 Commandant of the Marine Corps/@CMC_MarineCorps/@USMC Professional Reading Program/@USMCReadingList.
⚓ It highlights CMSI’s newest publication line—our legacy translations—along with information on how to access these resources.

The CMSI Quarterly Review also includes links to all CMSI publications & to news articles featuring CMSI research and commentary.

Curated contents from 1st 2 issues here: https://t.co/VCJfcBMnoL

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

New! @NavalWarCollege/@ChinaMaritime Note 18:

“Flooding the Zone: The Use of Civilian Landing Craft (LCTs) in PLA Amphibious Operations”

https://t.co/O5cXQAToqE

Cutting-edge insights from @tshugart3/@CNASdc & Mike Dahm @MitchellStudies/@GWtweets!

Links & curated content from #CMSI’s previous 17 notes here: https://t.co/kqS1bQyr1D

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

New! @NavalWarCollege/@ChinaMaritime Studies Institute Note #17!

https://t.co/qmf94uZDir

“Replacement Removed: VADM/General Wang Houbin— Naval Star Turned Rocket Force Commander’s Terminal Trajectory”

Wang is 1 of #China’s 9 Top Flag & General Officers Investigated & Expelled from Party & #Military per Friday’s #BreakingNews: https://t.co/J9ttiOytBU

Former General & Vice Admiral Wang Houbin has had one of the most extreme & unusual career trajectories in recent PLA(N) history.

Perhaps no other officer more dramatically embodies the vicissitudes of leading military careers under Xi: from excelling on the naval track, to being switched to a different track & anointed at the summit, to devastating derailment.

Naval aviator Wang Houbin once had a shot at leading China’s Navy, ended up leading the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) instead & has now been expelled from China’s military entirely.

From #CMSI Director @ChrisHSharman:

This timely CMSI Note examines the meteoric rise—& precipitous fall—of General (former Vice Admiral) Wang Houbin, the naval aviator who became head of China’s Rocket Force before being expelled for “serious violations of Party discipline.” Wang’s downfall, alongside eight other top officers, offers a revealing lens into the ongoing reconfiguration of the PLA’s senior ranks under Xi Jinping.

Drawing on extensive #OpenSource analysis, the Note explores what Wang’s removal might say about corruption, inter-service rivalry & the balance of power within China’s armed forces.

The CMSI Note concludes that despite high-level turbulence, the PLA’s naval modernization & operational readiness remain on track.

CMSI Note #17 will be formally published when the Government reopens, but due to the relevance & timeliness of the information, we wanted to get this out now.

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

@Bumfighter_13 @TheFFBallers Drop Downs or Mims for QJ or Boutte?

[Andrew Erickson 艾立信 @AndrewSErickson]

New! @NavalWarCollege/@ChinaMaritime Translation #19:

“Lessons & Thoughts from the Struggle for Command of the Sea in the Red Sea”

https://t.co/2bsIdDCPR1

Click here for a curated compilation of CMSI’s previous 18 published translations: https://t.co/97otbIS4Py

From #CMSI Director CAPT @ChrisHSharman, @USNavy (Ret.):

China Navy Watchers: China’s Navy is learning many lessons from U.S. Navy operations against the #Houthis in the #RedSea. What are some of these lessons?

Pulled from the pages of Navy Today, the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) is pleased to provide you with a translation of an article from an official magazine of the PLA Navy, both authoritative & informative.

The article highlights how #Houthi drones & anti-ship missiles are used to contest sea control. According to the authors, “surface ships have little offensive & defensive effect & as a result, appear weak.” The authors justify their claim with 4 observations:

— Surface ships are easily tracked in real time on the ocean. Their large radar cross-section makes them stand out.
— New weapons & difficult to defend against. Moreover, compared to the cost of a warship, they are extremely inexpensive.
— Defensive capabilities of ships operating independently are limited.
— Maintaining a protracted high intensity alert can yield complacency.

So, what are the implications & recommendations of the authors for China’s navy?
— The integration of intelligent autonomous systems can help to alleviate human factor challenges associated with maintaining a continuous state of high-intensity readiness.
— Future warship construction should account for threats posed by diverse, cheap & flexible weapons systems. The PLAN should upgrade its ships with systems to jam UAVs, with “jamming bombs” can be employed to interfere with UAV optical & infrared sensors, and with lasers to destroy UAV components.
— Integrate surface ships & unmanned equipment together to improve defensive capabilities, which opens, “a new chapter in their use in maritime operations.”
— Surface ship mobility is viewed as a key strength. “Surface ships must use wide-area maneuvers to … avoid falling into the position of the defender.”
— The authors conclude that that using long-range maneuvers along with precise early warning is particularly applicable for executing blockade operations (presumably directed at Taiwan).
— Russian warships sunk by autonomous Ukrainian weapons systems reinforces some of the lessons China’s navy is learning from U.S. Navy operations in the Red Sea.

This article was expertly translated by CMSI’s Non-Resident Research Fellow, @RealNickHendo. Our thanks to Nick for his excellent contribution to CMSI’s body of translations.

[Click Here @ClickHereShow]

So how do you prepare for a war that hasn’t yet started?

This week on @ClickHereShow, we take you inside a @NavalWarCollege war game for #Taiwan that unfolded in a very unlikely place: at @defcon in Las Vegas.

LISTEN: https://t.co/OYGp4ijzFI

[NTD @NTD_Live]

President Donald Trump nominated Landon Heid, who served on the staff of the House of Representatives' Select Committee on China, for a key post in the U.S.–China tech battle.

Meanwhile, Trump says lower interest rates would go hand-in-hand with tariffs.

[The Register @TheRegister]

Hackers game out infowar against China with the US Navy https://t.co/yzklBlX1pF

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

@KaiserKuo Loved my time in PiA, glad to see students are getting another opportunity to visit. Hopefully free exchange can happen more frequently in the future when the temperature decreases.

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

@EliYoungBand picked up the album at the show before the rain got to us! Hope we get another chance to see you all here!!! #Newport #NavalStationNewport

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

"#Japan, 30 years ago, reminds us that it is quite possible to have islands of tech excellence and leadership, and also deep economic imbalances, deflating asset bubbles, over-indebtedness, and institutional weaknesses that compromise growth..."
https://t.co/9j7DDFJgWG

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

The maritime transportation system, like all critical infrastructure, is vulnerable. Long-term fixes are important, but Washington should do more right now. @NianaSavage @NavalWarCollege

https://t.co/Z8zF7PkDOj

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

Fantastic creator, thanks to #AkiraToriyama for introducing #dragonball to the world, and bringing Japanese culture closer to generations of #americans

https://t.co/QPYR0AwC5y

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

Award-winning article from Leidos Chair of Future Warfare Studies at the @NavalWarCollege Prof. Sam Tangredi. #replicator @DeptofDefense @USNavy

https://t.co/b4aeCLVKUV

[Nicholas.A.Henderson 倪恒徳🇹🇼 @RealNickHendo]

@JRBauer1021 cited here!

https://t.co/24YvtJ5qJN