1. Home
  2. Research & Wargaming > Research Centers > China Maritime Studies Institute

China Maritime Studies Institute

China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) enables scholars to perform academic research from Chinese-language sources to develop deeper insight into key aspects of China’s maritime development, capabilities and trends. CMSI publishes research to inform the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, advise U.S. civilian and military leaders and educate the joint force’s next generation of warfighters.

Director, China Maritime Studies Institute

(401) 856-6019

China Maritime Studies Institute Lines of Effort

CMSI works for the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, as a research team supporting the Strategic Operational Research Department. CMSI allows the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps to better understand China’s approach to building and using maritime power in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

CMSI Lines of Effort

Click to Open

CMSI News

This newsletter is a one stop shop to our publications, contains links to CMSI comments or interviews captured in media, catalogs our translations, highlights engagements, and previews upcoming CMSI events.

View All Issues Current CMSI News

CMSI Studies in China Maritime Development

Study No. 8, Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion

The China Maritime Studies Institute has hosted conferences at the Naval War College since 2005. Several edited conference volumes have been published as a result of these conferences.

View All Studies Current Study

China Maritime Studies Red Books

China Maritime Studies Number 17: The Maritime Fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific: Indonesia and Malaysia Respond to China’s Creeping Expansion in the South China Sea

CMSI publishes penetrating insights related to China's military maritime developments through academic research using Chinese-language sources. CMSI research informs USN and USMC civilian and military leaders, and educates the joint force's next generation of warfighters.

View All Issues Current Red Book

CMSI China Maritime Reports

China Maritime Reports are short papers exploring topics of current military maritime interest, published at the direction of the CMSI Director.

View All Issues Current China Maritime Report

CMSI Notes

CMSI Notes are short, timely analyses of recent China military maritime events.

View All Issues Current CMSI Note

CMSI Translations

CMSI Translations are translations of articles pulled from Chinese military maritime publications.

View All Issues Current CMSI Translation

China Maritime Studies Institute Conferences

These conferences serve to stimulate focused research and foster dialogue among topic experts resulting in enhanced understanding and continued productive research and analysis on focus areas.

See China Maritime Studies Institute Faculty

Our experienced and renowned faculty have years of earned expertise across a wide range of naval, professional, and academic focus areas. To learn more, please use the link below to access the online directory.

Visit Faculty

CMSI Faculty Publications

For a full listing of current publications written by CMSI faculty, please see button below.

See CMSI Faculty Publications

Featured Faculty

Faculty Directory
Ryan D Martinson Profile Image

Ryan D. Martinson

Assistant Professor | Strategic and Operational Research Department

Ryan D. Martinson is a core member of the China Maritime Studies Institute. He researches China's maritime strategy, especially its coercive use of sea power in East Asia.

Publications by this Professor
Andrew S. Erickson photo

Andrew S. Erickson

Professor | Strategic and Operational Research Department

Dr. Andrew S. Erickson (艾立信) is Professor of Strategy (tenured full professor) in NWC’s China Maritime Studies Institute. A core founding member, he helped establish CMSI and stand it up officially in 2006 and has played an integral role in its development; from 2021–23 he served as Research Director. CMSI inspired the creation of other research centers, which he has advised and supported; he is a China Aerospace Studies Institute Associate. Since 2008 he has been an Associate in Research at Harvard’s Fairbank Center. Erickson has taught courses at NWC and Yonsei University, advises NWC student research and curricula and supports NWC’s scholarly research relations with Japanese counterparts.

Publications by this Professor

Featured Publications

All Publications

Warfare Ethics in Comparative Perspective: China and the West

Benedict S. B. Chan, Yvonne Chiu, Ping-cheung Lo, Sumner B. Twiss Routledge

China's Blue Economy: Evolution and Geostrategic Implications

Kathleen Walsh Routledge