In Taiwan, the Calendar – and Preparations – for a Chinese Invasion
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — While wars rage in Ukraine and Gaza, the past week has seen a spike in tensions over a global conflict that […] More
Asia
China’s Diplomatic Dance Comes Amid Plans for War
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — China’s newest U.S. ambassador took up his post Tuesday, less than four months after criticizing President Joe Biden’s “indiscriminate use of force” […] More
What’s Behind Sending a U.S. Sub to South Korea?
ANALYSIS / INTERVIEW – The last time a nuclear-armed American submarine docked in South Korea, Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s Supreme Leader, was not yet born. Forty-years […] More
Exclusive Interview: Tracking China’s Global Power Projection
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, prompted a re-alignment of global alliances that led to the launch of competing power projections, […] More
The Latest
As Tsai Meets McCarthy, Experts Warn: War Over Taiwan Would Run Through U.S.
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – As Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday fulfills a historic meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the specter of strained Sino-U.S. relations […] More
After Moscow, What is China’s Next Move?
ANALYSIS/INTERVIEW — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended talks in Moscow this week by declaring that their alliance was driving geopolitical change […] More
What Japan’s Massive Defense Investment Means for the World
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Japan’s new security strategy is bringing unprecedented change to its military policy and is introducing a new dynamic for global collective […] More
Are We Witnessing the First Global Energy Crisis?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — European Energy pressures exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have forced a reset in energy production and supply. “I don’t believe there […] More
China’s Post-Ukraine Playbook
Cipher Brief Expert and retired CIA Senior Executive Mark Kelton took part in a Russia panel during the recent Cipher Brief Threat Conference, along with […] More
Is a US – China Face-off over Taiwan Looming?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on Sunday with a speech that makes clear where […] More
China’s foray among Pacific Islands provokes U.S., Australian concerns
EXPERT ANALYSIS — A security agreement signed by China and the Solomon Islands in April, has created waves of concern throughout the region and reaching […] More
Behind the Headlines: Russia in Myanmar, Peru’s New President and what Enjin means for the United Nations Global Compact
Behind the Headlines brings you expert perspectives on today’s headlines by telling you more than what happened, but also what it means. You can also […] More
Mapping China by the Numbers: Ambitions and Threat Vectors
On 25 September 2017, the board of UK-based Imagination Technologies, founded in 1985 (and listed on the LSE in 1994), agreed to a take-over by […] More
The Link Between National Security and Climate Change in Asia
The White House is preparing to launch a Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by President Joe Biden beginning Thursday. 40 World leaders were invited to […] More
China: Assessing the Real Threat and Necessary Cooperation
A CIPHER BRIEF THREAT CONFERENCE CONVERSATION — The Cipher Brief Threat Conference brings together thought leaders and experts from the public and private sectors to […] More
US National Security Challenges: A Conversation Among Experts
Understanding expert perspective on where the US stands in the world with regards to national security is a key component of how The Cipher Brief […] More
A Rare Glimpse Inside the Life of a Spy
(Editor’s Note: Understanding the life of a spy is often difficult, especially understanding the experiences of those who spend much of their careers working undercover. […] More
Xi’s Awful Arithmetic
CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT VIEW — Mark Kelton is a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency executive who retired in 2015 with 34 years of experience in intelligence […] More
The Question: Why Would China not Invade Taiwan now?
The Cipher Brief is proud to launch ‘The Question’, designed to make us think forward, consider broader scenarios and challenge each other in constructive ways […] More