The Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs is established in accordance with Section 914 of Public Law 106-65, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2000.  The Center is an integral component of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) at the National Defense University (NDU) operating in accordance with the INSS Charter from the Secretary of Defense and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  The Center is under the direct supervision of its Director, who is appointed by the President of NDU and reports to the Director of INSS.  (INSS Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Philip Saunders, serves as the CSCMA program coordinator.)

     The military and civilian analysts and staff who comprise the Center execute their mission through a program of internal and contract research and publications, as well as routine exchanges with governmental and non-governmental experts.  These activities are supported by internet links to the wider analytic community, seminars, conferences, and gaming and simulation. 

1.  Research.  The Center' s resident research staff draws on a number of disciplines and the wider analytic community in the pursuit of its research mission.  Starting with concepts of national interest, national strategy (as manifested in foreign and national security policies), and strategic culture, the Center supports analysis of:   

• the views of Chinese leaders on the use of military force, including its utility as a means of achieving national objectives and conditions under which they might actually resort to force;
• the ways in which China's perceived military/strategic needs are translated into force structure;
• China's ability to create and sustain various force structures; and,
• the overall capabilities of its evolving military forces.

These general objectives are realized through a program of research and exchanges centered on assessing:

• China's national interests, objectives, and strategic culture
• Evolving concepts of grand strategy, military strategy, military operations, and tactics
• Evolving doctrinal concepts at each of the four levels
• How doctrine at each level influences force structure choices
• How doctrine and force structure interact at each level through procurement, officer education, and training to produce an integrated system of military capabilities.

The core program is further informed by supporting research and exchanges on: the impact of relevant economic trends; strengths and weaknesses in the scientific and technological sector; and, demographic, human resource, and other factors that might affect progress in the military sphere. 

2. Gaming and Simulation.  Center analysts and staff members work with the INSS National Strategic Gaming Center, as appropriate, in conducting simulations, games, and other exercises designed to inform and sharpen analysis and exchanges. 

3.  Publications.  The Center disseminates the findings of its research and analytic exchanges through various publications and the INSS internet web site.  Publications range from short assessments and think pieces, designed primarily to support policymakers, to monographs and books of interest to the broader national security community.  The Center produces a biennial assessment of Key Developments in Chinese Military Affairs.  The Center also publishes a periodic Report on the State of the Discipline, which reviews the progress of recent analysis on Chinese military/security affairs and identifies new areas for research. 

4. Conferences.  The Center sponsors seminars, conferences, and internet exchanges involving the leading American and international experts on China.  The seminars and conferences are of two types: the first focuses on specific topics; the second deals with assessing the state of research and identifying new areas of analytic emphasis.  The Director of the Center chairs a Committee on Chinese Security Studies comprised of experts from NDU and other U.S. institutions of professional military education, which facilitates exchange of information and analyses, and identification of areas warranting further research.

5. Special Meetings on PME.  From time to time, the Center convenes a meeting of faculty members from the PME system interested in China to review developments in the field and discuss means of integrating new insights into the course materials of the various colleges, schools, and academies. This meeting also provides a vehicle for informal discussion of the activities of the various Senior Service Colleges as they conduct activities with counterparts in China and Taiwan in support of United States Government policy.   

The Center is an integral part of INSS. Its resident research staff engages and analysts from  Department of Defense, components, other government agencies, universities, and research centers whose work focuses on China These individuals serve voluntarily as Associate Fellows of the Center. In this context, the Center provides independent, objective, authoritative analysis.  Its analyses draw on the Institute's research staff, contract studies, and various expert exchanges. 

      The Center's research program is developed and supervised by its Director and approved by the Director of INSS, in consultation with the President of the National Defense University, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and, as appropriate, other officials and independent experts. 

   The President            
National Defense University
March 2, 2000