China in a Changing World Order

The rise of China is now one of the greatest issues of the twenty-first century. The country’s remarkable economic growth and proactive stance on the diplomatic front are already changing Asia, and the future will likely see even more Chinese influence and control. To help address and understand these new and complex challenges, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies has launched the China Desk, where we gather our expertise and offer insights into the emergence of Beijing as a Global Power.

Latest Research

Catch up on our latest research on or related to China.

Reshaping the international legal order: China’s strategic use of lawfare and lessons learned for Europe

“A Little World War”: Lessons From the Spanish Civil War for Contemporary Strategists

Reweaving Silk Roads: The Middle Corridor’s Role in EU Economic Security

Win-win Partnerships for Critical Raw Materials: Advancing Europe-West Africa Cooperation

Responding to China’s Hybrid Threats: Strategic Postures for Small and Middle Powers

HCSS Annual Report 2025

Propelling Green Ambitions: Policy Cycles and Priorities in China and the Netherlands

Annales des Mines | The current state of the European Union’s dependency and its policies

Taiwan’s Role in the Strategic Reindustrialization of Europe

Old Players, New Moves: India’s Strategy in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Arctic Security Conference 2025: Managing Polarisation and Fragmentation

Frozen Battlegrounds: The Strategic Cost of Transatlantic Competition Over Greenland’s Critical Raw Materials

The Socio-Political Instability Observer: July 2025

Deterrence Warning Messages: A Short Guide for NATO

Command Confrontation: Considering China’s Evolving Command Capabilities and Implications for NATO

The Socio-Political Instability Observer: January 2025

Strengthening Taiwan’s Sea Cable Security

Dynamics of De-Risking: Towards resilient supply chains for antibiotics, drones and the electricity grid in the Netherlands

Guest Paper | Are the West’s Golden Years Over?

Write-up | Navigating Tomorrow: The Future World Order

Cooperation in an Era of Confrontation: The Case of the Benelux Arms Control Agency

Deterring or Spiralling? Emerging Technologies, Strategic Stability, and Prospects for Sino-European Arms Control

From the Steppes of Ukraine to the Shores of Formosa: Lessons Learned from Contemporary War for Taiwan

Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine Applicable to Taiwan: The Land Domain

Lessons for Taiwan from the Russo-Ukrainian War

The Maritime War in Ukraine: The Limits of Russian Sea Control?

Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine applicable to Taiwan: Airpower

Protecting European AI-Related Innovations: Preventing Their Use in China’s Military Advancements

Chaos, Orde en Machtspolitiek: HCSS Strategische Monitor 2025

Maritime Security for resilient global Supply Chains in the wider Indo-Pacific

Notitie | Defensieplanning: Van evenwicht naar keuzes

Twilight of Atlanticism? America’s shifting approaches to Europe

New Technologies, Changing Strategies: Five Trends in the Hybrid Threat Landscape

RAND | The Sources of Renewed National Dynamism

The EU’s China challenge: Rethinking offshore wind and electrolysis strategy

The Cost of Conflict: Economic implications of a Taiwan military crisis for the Netherlands and the EU

Navigating the great game of chokepoints: Assessing geopolitical risks and advancing Dutch and European strategic indispensability in digital value chains

De Prijs van Conflict: Economische Gevolgen van een Militaire Crisis rondom Taiwan voor Nederland en de EU

De Strategische Monitor 2023 | Barsten en Blokken: Confrontatie en Samenwerking in een Wereld van Wisselende Coalities

Getting Them On Board: Partners and Avenues for European Engagement in Indo-Pacific Maritime Security

HCSS Annual Report 2023

Semiconductors in Key European and Indo-Pacific Economies: Geopolitical Risk in the Supply Chains into 2030 and Beyond

Indo-Pacific Security in 2030-35: Links in the Chain

The U.S.-China Technology War and Taiwan’s Semiconductor Role in Geopolitics

Resilient supply of critical commodities by 2030 to the EU and Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan

Great power competition and social stability in the Netherlands: The risks of Russian gas, Chinese raw materials and Taiwanese chips to vital sectors

The Socio-Political Instability Observer: May 2023

Nederland en Maritieme Veiligheid in de Indo-Pacific regio: van principes naar uitvoerbaar beleid

Competitie tussen grootmachten en maatschappelijke stabiliteit in Nederland: de risico’s van Russisch gas, Chinese grondstoffen en Taiwanese chips voor vitale sectoren

Dancing In The Dark: The Seven Sins of Deterrence Assessment

Structure and Contingency: War Onset in the East China Sea

Nuclear Command and Control and Strategic Stability

Future European Contributions to Arms Control: Compete to Negotiate

Maritime Road to 2030: EU’s Indo-Pacific Footprint and India

Position Paper: Chips, kritieke grondstoffen en Nederlands-Europese economische veiligheid

Factsheet | Westerse Aanwezigheid in de Asia-Pacific

Reaching breaking point: The semiconductor and critical raw material ecosystem at a time of great power rivalry

China’s military rise and European technology

China’s Militaire Opkomst en Europese Technologie

Strengthening deterrence against nuclear, conventional, and hybrid threats: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Insights for US Allies in Europe and Asia

China’s Military Rise and the Implications for European Security

De Nederlands-Chinese Agri-Food praktijk: Conclusies en aanbevelingen naar aanleiding van Ronde Tafels met de Agri-Food Business uit Nederland

China’s technological challenge to European strategic autonomy

A Chinese Perspective on the Future of Cyberspace

Internationale ontwikkelingen en de Nederlandse energietransitie

Wezenlijke belangen en de nationale defensie gerelateerde industriële en technologische basis

From Blurred Lines to Red Lines: How Countermeasures and Norms Shape Hybrid Conflict | Upholding Freedom of Navigation in the South China Sea

Gaat de Coronacrisis de wereld veranderen?

Reimagining Deterrence: Towards Strategic (Dis)Suasion Design

Hybrid Conflict: Neither war, nor peace

NATO’s Futures through Russian and Chinese Beholders’ Eyes

Monthly alert: Dutch Foreign Relations Index

A Road to Riches or a Road to Ruin? The Geo-economic Implications of China’s New Silk Road

Harvesting Golden Opportunities for the Dutch Agri-Food Business in China

Assessing Assertions of Assertiveness: The Chinese and Russian Cases

Geopolitics, Innovation and China – the Strategic Future of Innovation

Issue Brief No. 5 Liberal Democracy: Up to the challenge of the 21st century?

Issue Brief No.2 The Beijing Consensus: An alternative approach to development

The Rise of Asia and Strategic Questions for Europe

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All Research

About HCSS China in a changing world order

The focus of our work lies on the implications and consequences of China’s rise on the international order and its repercussions for global peace, security, and prosperity. The HCSS China Desk is capable of linking regional knowledge (countries) and domain knowledge (military, cyber) with a specific perspective (international relations, strategic studies).

Understanding the new world order

What does the rise of China mean for the existing world order? What will this mean for the West? Will China claim its dominance? And what can the West do to maintain its position?

To help address and understand these new and complex challenges, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies has launched the China Desk, where we gather our expertise and offer insights into the emergence of Beijing as a Global Power. Our experts are uniquely suited to the task, as the HCSS as has been conducting research on many aspects of China’s rise for years. The China Desk will provide independent and objective analyses and advice, for both the public and the private sector.

Training, dissemination and education

We have partnered with both national and international organizations. The Dutch Ministries of Security & Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Defense are among our regular customers.

The HCSS China Desk is open to requests from the private sector (commercial and non-commercial organizations and associations). Our specialists are skilled in identifying needs for dissemination, and can construct relevant trainings to fulfill your organization’s strategic goals and requirements.

The HCSS China Desk can provide tailor-made learning programmes, lectures, conferences, roundtables, workshops, seminars and other academic events.