Chinese CICIR Report Analyzes U.S.-China Competition Through Maoist Protracted War Lens (warontherocks.com)

• CICIR report classifies current U.S.-China relations as Phase Two (strategic stalemate) of Mao's protracted war
• English translation sanitizes Maoist language; Chinese original stresses struggle as prerequisite for cooperation
• Report authored by think tank under China's Ministry of State Security, not diplomatic corps
• Author concludes Washington should read the report as an official assessment of competitive dynamics

"On May 13, 2026, the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), a think tank under China's Ministry of State Security, published a report framing U.S.-China competition as a 'strategic stalemate' – the second phase of Mao Zedong's protracted war theory. The English translation dilutes Maoist terminology, while the Chinese text emphasizes 'seeking cooperation through struggle'. The report suggests China's position has strengthened, and current stability is a stage in a longer competition. The author warns against misreading stabilization as convergence."