Beijing has criticized Washington for promoting a “China threat” narrative after the United States Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report (CMPR).
According to the latest CMPR, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is prioritizing the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled capabilities because of its belief that AI is leading to the next revolution in military affairs. The report said that, by 2030, the PLA expects to field a range of “algorithmic warfare” and “network-centric warfare” capabilities operating at different levels of human-machine integration.
“Algorithmic warfare” is characterized by the use of AI-related methodologies in real-world operational environments. It intends to reduce the number of warfighters in harm’s way, increase decision speed in time-critical operations and operate when and where humans are unable to operate.
“Network-centric warfare,” which is different from the traditional platform-centric warfare, highlights the use of information technology in battles. The term was pioneered by the US Department of Defense in the 1990s.
The CMPR report also said the Chinese defense industry and universities are developing quantum imaging, navigation and radar applications to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, including position, navigation and timing (PNT).
Judging from the buildout of China’s quantum communication infrastructure, it said, the PLA may leverage integrated quantum networks and quantum key distribution to reinforce command, control and communications systems.
“This report, like the ones we’ve seen before, lays little emphasis on truth. It is filled with bias and designed to amplify the ‘China threat’ narrative only to justify the United States’ desire to maintain military supremacy,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“We call on the US to abandon the Cold War mentality and hegemonic way of thinking, view China’s strategic intention and defense development in an objective and rational way, and stop issuing this kind of irresponsible report year after year,” he said.
He added that Washington should make sure what it does is conducive to a stable relationship between the two countries and the two militaries.
“The report speculated on and smeared China’s nuclear power and hyped up the ‘China threat’ rhetoric,” Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times in an interview. “But at the same time, it took the trouble to disclose the PLA’s deficiencies in long-range logistical support and other capabilities.”
He said the US military was judging others by its own standards as it believes that China will use aircraft carriers in a hegemonic manner in the South China Sea, like what US aircraft carriers have been doing overseas.
Energy strategy
The CMPR said the main challenge that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would face in the event of a prolonged military conflict in the Western Pacific would likely be meeting the hydrocarbon demand for its civilian and industrial population.
“If a military conflict consisted of a naval blockade, the PRC would be cut off from a significant amount of its hydrocarbon imports,” the report said. “The PRC’s interest in ensuring reliable, cost-effective and diverse hydrocarbon sources to support its economic growth drives its overseas energy investments.”
“This new section in the CMPR shows that when military conflicts occur in the Western Pacific in the future, the US will conduct military intervention operations, extend its evil hands to China’s energy supply lines and try to cut off China’s energy supply,” Zhang said. “This is something that deserves our vigilance.”
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China’s military buildup is defensive, not offensive and confrontational. He said the PLA is seen by the US as a “threat” simply because it has the ability to retaliate when the US intervenes in China-related affairs in the surrounding region.
Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, said US politicians and representatives of the military-industrial complex are creating imaginary enemies in order to boost military spending so they can make money from it.
Taiwan issues
The CMPR pointed out that the PLA’s deficiencies include corruption and lack of real-world combat experience.
A senior US defense official told the media in a briefing on December 16 that it’s not likely the Chinese army is capable of invading Taiwan by 2027 while the US does not think a war in the Taiwan Strait is imminent or inevitable.
“We have deterrence today that’s real and strong. We’re doing a lot to try to keep it that way,” said the official, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed his commitment to the 2027 milestone for modernization of the PRC’s armed forces.
“We note in the report that the substantial problems they [the PLA] have with corruption that have yet to be resolved certainly could slow them down on the path toward the 2027 capabilities development milestone and beyond. I think that’s our judgment in terms of the potential impact of corruption on the PLA’s ability to achieve those milestones.”
Separately, the outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an event on December 18 that Taiwan is “everyone’s business” as a crisis over Taiwan would have global implications.
“China says every time the word Taiwan comes up: Do not even mention it; it is no one’s business but our own,” he said. “What we have been able to do is to open the eyes of almost the entire world to the fact that, no, fundamentally [Taiwan] is everyone’s business.
He said Taiwan supplies 70% of the world’s semiconductors while about half of global shipping passes through the waters surrounding the island.
“A Pentagon official said the PLA lacks the ability to liberate Taiwan but the official failed to prove the deficiencies of the Chinese army,” Bi Dianlong, a Chinese columnist specializing in Taiwan issues, says in an article published on December 20. “It’s now a US report comparing the military between China and the US. In the eyes of Americans, even if the PLA cannot catch up with the US army, they are at least in a similar range.”
“The Americans think the PLA cannot occupy Taiwan because they don’t believe that mainland China would really take action,” Bi said. “The PLA has recently held a drill in the first island chain and deployed more than 100 warships. This shows that we have the determination to unify Taiwan.”
He added that if a war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, it is unclear whether the US would do anything to support Taiwan.
On December 11, Beijing deployed about 60 warships and 30 coast guard vessels to the area from the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea, an unnamed Taiwanese official told AFP.
The Chinese navy’s maritime drills, the biggest in recent years, came after Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te had a two-day US stopover in Hawaii during his Pacific tour in early December.
China will only seriously consider taking Taiwan after they’ve sold off all the US dollar bonds, amounting to 700 billion. They’d lose all of that if they didn’t. I’d give it about 5 more years before they’re ready.
I will happily transfer 10% of my income directly to the US MIC if they stop making weapons, close their bases and shut down NATO.
Is that you, Vlad?
Wow it’s you, the Big guy, you will get your 10% as usual, don’t worry.