Dean Cheng is a senior advisor to the China program at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

He joined USIP from The Heritage Foundation, where he spent over a decade as a senior research fellow on Chinese political and security affairs. He has written extensively on China’s military doctrine, the technological implications of its space program and “dual use” issues associated with China’s industrial and scientific infrastructure.

Before joining The Heritage Foundation, Cheng worked at Science Applications International Corporation and the China studies division of the Center for Naval Analyses, a federally funded research institute. He also served as an analyst for the international security and space program at the Office of Technology Assessment, a congressional agency, with particular expertise on China’s defense-industrial complex.

Cheng has testified many times before U.S. House and Senate committees on various aspects of Chinese security. He has appeared on public affairs shows such as “John McLaughlin’s One on One” and C-SPAN, as well as programs on NPR, CNN International, BBC World Service and International Television News.

He has been interviewed by or provided commentary for publications such as Time magazine, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Bloomberg News, Jane’s Defence Weekly, South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo, and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, and is the author of “Cyber Dragon,” an examination of Chinese information and cyber activities. He has also spoken at the National Space Symposium, National Defense University, the Air Force Academy, MIT and the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies.

Publications By Dean

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

Monday, March 25, 2024

Since deadly clashes between India and China on their 2,100-mile disputed border — known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — nearly four years ago, the two countries have remained in a standoff and amassed an increasing number of troops on either side of the LAC. While India and China have held regular exchanges at the corps commander level since 2020, each side has also continued to militarize and invest in infrastructure in the high-altitude border regions, which may exacerbate risks of clashes or escalation. India-China competition has also deepened beyond the land border, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

How China Seeks to Dominate the Information Age

How China Seeks to Dominate the Information Age

Thursday, March 7, 2024

A combination of U.S.-China rivalry and China’s national security goals is driving Beijing to take a more assertive approach to the governance of international common spaces — from outer space to cyberspace. China’s leaders believe the world has transitioned from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Consequently, Beijing sees the ability to generate, move, analyze and exploit information more rapidly and more accurately as the new currency of international power.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Rising Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea

Rising Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea

Thursday, December 14, 2023

For the past several months, China has been steadily increasing its pressure on the Philippines in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. In particular, China has actively interfered with the small Philippine garrison posted to Second Thomas Shoal. A vigorous U.S. response is required to deter further Chinese escalation.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

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