By Franz-Stefan Gady
A new defense white paper outlines Beijing’s growing military capabilities and strategic outlook.
Today, China released its first defense white paper outlining a new military strategy that emphasizes a more “active defense posture” and a greater Chinese naval presence farther from the People’s Republic’s shores. Issued by the State Council Information Office, it is the ninth defense paper published since 1998, but the first to focus exclusively on strategy.
While the document contains various new observations, the principal doctrine of the Chinese military appears to be unaltered: winning local wars under conditions of informationization. Thus, network-centric warfare and the growing informatization of the battlefield are seen as particularly important for the PLA’s “preparation for military struggle (PMS).”
“The world revolution in military affairs (RMA) is proceeding to a new stage. Long-range, precise, smart, stealthy and unmanned weapons and equipment are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Outer space and cyber space have become new commanding heights in strategic competition among all parties,” the paper notes.
Read the full story at The Diplomat