Chinese Strategy and Military Modernization in 2015

A Comparative Analysis


 

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China’s emergence as a global economic superpower, and as a major regional military power in Asia and the Pacific, has had a major impact on its relations with the United States and its neighbors. China was the driving factor in the new strategy the United States announced in 2012 that called for a “rebalance” of U.S. forces to the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, China’s actions on its borders, in the East China Sea, and in the South China Sea have shown that it is steadily expanding its geopolitical role in the Pacific and having a steadily increasing impact on the strategy and military developments in other Asian powers.

As a result, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the United States, and China’s neighbors face a critical need to improve their understanding of how each state in the region is developing its military power, and find ways to avoid the kind of military competition that could lead to rising tension or conflict. This study is intended to support such a dialogue among China, the United States, and other key Asian powers. It focuses on the current developments in China’s military strategy, forces, and modernization, but in the context of how they are influencing U.S. strategy and force development and the reactions of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The volume also focuses on how Chinese military developments affect rising tensions in areas like the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan.

Michael Wang

Steven Colley