Kevin L. Pollpeter

Escalation is a natural tendency in any form of human competition, and today's security environment demands that the United States be prepared for a host of escalatory threats. This analysis of escalation dynamics and approaches to escalation management draws on a range of historical examples from World War I through Somalia in the early 1990s to inform escalation-related decisionmaking.

This report explores the missions and organization of China's military space enterprise, focusing on the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force (SSF), created in 2015 to develop and employ most of the PLA's space capabilities. Its main function appears to be launch and operation of satellites to provide C4ISR capabilities critical to strategic deterrence, fighting informatized wars, and countering U.S. military intervention.

Considers potential Chinese responses to U.S. transformation efforts and offers possible U.S. counterresponses. For the past decade, Chinese military strategists have keenly observed the changes in U.S. national strategy and military transformation. This report examines the constraints, facilitators, and potential options for Chinese responses to U.S. transformation efforts and offers possible U.S. counterresponses (particularly in light of whether Taiwan moves toward or away from formal independence).

Analyzes the dynamics of the transfer of technology and capital between Taiwan and China and assesses their impact on cross-Strait relations and the worldwide semiconductor industry The flows of trade and investment across the Taiwan Strait have increased dramatically in recent years, driven largely by the increasing integration of the information technology (IT) sectors of Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. This report examines the economic and political implications of cross-Strait flows of technology and capital. The authors comprehensively analyze the investment and IT transfer dynamics between Taiwan and China and their implications for the global semiconductor industry and U.S. policymaking.