John Chin
@johnchin.bsky.social
I am a political scientist and father of three.
"Linkage, Leverage, and Authoritarian Snapback." In the latest issue of Asia Policy, CMIST’s @johnchin.bsky.social participates in a roundtable review of Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis’s Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics. www.nbr.org/publication/...
Although Russia has expanded its footprint in Africa in recent years, subtle but significant indicators of potential long-term vulnerabilities are emerging. @johnchin.bsky.social, Haleigh Bartos, and Aleksaundra Handrinos offer three signposts to watch for. smallwarsjournal.com/2026/01/01/t...
The Waiting Game: Signposts of Russia’s Coming Failure in Africa
Russia is reshaping global geopolitics across Africa through disinformation, military bases, and strategic alliances.
smallwarsjournal.com
Are we nearing "peak Russia" in Africa? In Small Wars Journal, @johnchin.bsky.social, Haleigh Bartos, and Aleksaundra Handrinos outline the weaknesses in Russia's mercenary-first model and offer three signposts to watch for when the tide turns. Read: smallwarsjournal.com/2026/01/01/t...
The Waiting Game: Signposts of Russia’s Coming Failure in Africa
Russia is reshaping global geopolitics across Africa through disinformation, military bases, and strategic alliances.
smallwarsjournal.com
How can the US help curb violence in Nigeria? CMIST’s Haleigh Bartos, @johnchin.bsky.social, and Julien Derroitte encourage an approach based on ‘carrots’ not ‘sticks,’ today in @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social's New Atlanticist. www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-at...
To curb violence in Nigeria, the US should offer Abuja carrots, not sticks
If the Trump administration wants to help Nigeria address violence and terrorism, it should offer the country incentives, not threaten punitive actions against it.
atlanticcouncil.org
“Coups beget more coups.” ICYMI: CMIST's @johnchin.bsky.social explains the recent military takeover in Guinea-Bissau and how these events reflect a polycrisis for countries in and around the Sahel belt. @us.theconversation.com Read: theconversation.com/guinea-bissa...
Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover highlights the nation’s sorry history of coups and a deepening crisis across the region
The takeover was the 11th successful coup d'etat in Africa since just 2020, and the latest destabilizing event in a country long plagued by governance challenges.
theconversation.com
“Coups beget more coups.” In @us.theconversation.com, CMIST's John Chin explains last week’s military takeover in Guinea-Bissau and how these events reflect a polycrisis for countries in and around the Sahel belt. Read: theconversation.com/guinea-bissa...
Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover highlights the nation’s sorry history of coups and a deepening crisis across the region
The takeover was the 11th successful coup d'etat in Africa since just 2020, and the latest destabilizing event in a country long plagued by governance challenges.
theconversation.com
How can rising authoritarianism around the globe be countered? In Frontiers in Political Science, CMIST’s John Chin and Staten Rector argue that Taiwan’s success in deepening democracy and resisting Chinese sharp power hold key lessons. Read their research: www.frontiersin.org/journals/pol...
Frontiers | Taiwan: democratic David in 21st century east Asia
Taiwan is not just a victim-in-waiting, damsel in distress, or pawn in a new Cold War. Taiwan stands as an exemplar: the world’s first “Chinese democracy” an...
frontiersin.org
How did the situation in Mali become so perilous, and what are the implications of a jihadist takeover? ICYMI: Read the analysis of CMIST’s Haleigh Bartos and John Chin via the Atlantic Council. www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menaso...
Mali is at a turning point that risks a 'disastrous domino effect'
A JNIM seizure of power, though less likely, is possible—and threatens to turn Mali into Africa’s Afghanistan.
atlanticcouncil.org
What structural factors contributed to the recent coup attempt in Benin? Read the explainer from CMIST’s John Chin: theconversation.com/benins-faile... @africa.theconversation.com @us.theconversation.com
Benin’s failed coup: three factors behind the takeover attempt
Growing autocratic rule, a rise in jihadist attacks and a proliferation of coups in the Sahel contributed to the attempt by Benin’s military to seize power.
theconversation.com
