Source: US Dept of Defense
Annual Report to Congress
Military Power of the
People’s Republic of China
2008
Office of the Secretary of Defense
A Report to Congress
Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act
Fiscal Year 2000
Section 1202, “Annual Report on Military Power of the People’s Republic of China,” of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, Public Law 106-65, provides that the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report “on the current and future military strategy of the People’s Republic of China. The report shall address the current and probable future course of military-technological development on the People’s Liberation Army and the tenets and probable development of Chinese grand strategy, security strategy, and military strategy, and of the military organizations and operational concepts, through the next 20 years.”
China’s rapid rise over recent years as a regional political and economic power with growing global influence is an important element in today’s strategic landscape, one that has significant implications for the region and the world. The United States welcomes the rise of a stable, peaceful, and prosperous China. No country has done more to assist, facilitate, and encourage China’s national development and its integration in the international system. The United States continues to encourage China to participate as a responsible international stakeholder by taking on a greater share of responsibility for the stability, resilience and growth of the global system. However, much uncertainty surrounds China’s future course, in particular in the area of its expanding military power and how that power might be used.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is pursuing comprehensive transformation from a mass army designed for protracted wars of attrition on its territory to one capable of fighting and winning short- duration, high intensity conflicts along its periphery against high-tech adversaries – an approach that China refers to as preparing for “local wars under conditions of informatization.” China’s ability to sustain military power at a distance remains limited but, as noted in the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review Report, it “has the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States and field disruptive military technologies that could over time offset traditional U.S. military advantages.”
China’s near-term focus on preparing for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of U.S. intervention, is an important driver of its modernization. However, analysis of China’s military acquisitions and strategic thinking suggests Beijing is also developing capabilities for use in other contingencies, such as conflict over resources or disputed territories.
The pace and scope of China’s military transformation have increased in recent years, fueled by acquisition of advanced foreign weapons, continued high rates of investment in its domestic defense and science and technology industries, and far reaching organizational and doctrinal reforms of the armed forces. China’s expanding and improving military capabilities are changing East Asian military balances; improvements in China’s strategic capabilities have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region.
China’s nuclear force modernization, as evidence by the fielding of the new DF-31 and DF-31A intercontinental-range missiles, is enhancing China’s strategic strike capabilities. China’s emergent anti-access/area denial capabilities – as exemplified by its continued development of advanced cruise missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles designed to strike ships at sea, including aircraft carriers, and the January 2007 successful test of a direct-ascent, anti-satellite weapon – are expanding from the land, air, and sea dimensions of the traditional battlefield into the space and cyber-space domains.
The international community has limited knowledge of the motivations, decision-making, and key capabilities supporting China’s military modernization. China’s leaders have yet to explain in detail the purposes and objectives of the PLA’s modernizing military capabilities. For example, China continues to promulgate incomplete defense expenditure figures, and engage in actions that appear inconsistent with its declaratory policies. The lack of transparency in China’s military and security affairs poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation. This situation will naturally and understandably lead to hedging against the unknown.
Chapter One: Key Developments
Developments in China’s Grand Strategy, Security Strategy, and Military Strategy
Developments in China’s Military Forces
Developments in PLA Military Doctrine
International Military Exchanges, Exercises, and Interaction
Efforts to Acquire Advanced Technologies to Enhance China’s Military Capabilities
Taiwan’s Defense Capabilities and Cross-Strait Stability
Chapter Two: Understanding China’s Strategy
Overview
Strategy with Chinese Characteristics
Insights on China’s Strategy and Priorities
Factors Shaping Pathways to China’s Future
Chapter Three: China’s Military Strategy and Doctrine
Overview
Military Strategic Guidelines
Toward a Comprehensive View of Warfare
Secrecy and Deception in PLA Military Strategy
Asymmetric Warfighting
Chapter Four: Force Modernization Goals and Trends
Overview
Emerging Anti-Access/Area Denial Capabilities
Strategic Capabilities
Space and Counterspace
Power Projection – Modernization Beyond Taiwan
Chapter Five: Resources for Force Modernization
Overview
Military Expenditure Trends
China’s Advancing Defense Industries
Looking to the Future: Trends and Projections
Chapter Six: Force Modernization and Security in the Taiwan Strait
Overview
China’s Strategy in the Taiwan Strait
Beijing’s Courses of Action Against Taiwan
Special Topic: Human Capital in the PLA Force Modernization
Overview
Emphasizing Reform
Looking to the Future
Appendix: China and Taiwan Forces Data
1. China’s Territorial Disputes
2. China’s Critical Sea Lanes
3. The First and Second Island Chains
4. Medium and Intercontinental Range Ballistic Missiles
5. Regional Conventional Missiles
6. Defense Expenditures of the PRC: 1996 - 2007
7. 2007 Military Budgets of China and Regional Powers
8. 2003 to 2007: PRC Increase in Modern Systems
9. Taiwan Strait SAM and SRBM Coverage
10. Taiwan Strait Military Balance, Ground Forces
11. Major Ground Force Units
12. Taiwan Strait Military Balance, Air Forces
13. Major Air Force Units
14. Taiwan Strait Military Balance, Naval Forces
15. Major Naval Units
16. Inventory of PLAAF Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers
17. China’s Missile Force
AEW&C: Airborne Early Warning and Control ARM: Anti-Radiation Missile ASAT: Anti-Satellite ASBM: Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile ASCM: Anti-Ship Cruise Missile ASM: Air-to-Surface Missile C4ISR: Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance CAD/CAM: Computer-Assisted Design/Manufacturing CCP: Chinese Communist Party CMC: Central Military Commission CNA: Computer Network Attack CND: Computer Network Defense CNE: Computer Network Exploitation CNO: Computer Network Operations CNP: Comprehensive National Power DDG: Guided Missile Destroyers EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone EMP: Electro-Magnetic Pulse FFG: Guided-Missile Frigate GAD: General Armament Department GDP: Gross Domestic Product GSD: General Staff Department ICBM: Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missile ICE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement IMF: International Monetary Fund IOC: Initial Operational Capability IRBM: Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile LACM: Land Attack Cruise Missile MaRV: Maneuvering Re-entry Vehicle MINURSO: UN Mission on Referendum in Western Sahara MIRV: Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicle MND: Ministry of National Defense MR: Military Region MRBM: Medium-Range Ballistic Missile MRL: Multiple Rocket Launcher NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer OECD: Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development OMTE: Outline for Military Training and Evaluation OTH: Over-the-Horizon PAP: People’s Armed Police PBSC: Politburo Standing Committee PLA: People’s Liberation Army PLAAF: People’s Liberation Army Air Force PRC: People’s Republic of China SAM: Surface-to-Air Missile SESS: Space Event Support Ship SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organization SLBM: Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile SS: Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine SRBM: Short-Range Ballistic Missile SSBN: Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine SSN: Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UCAV: Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle
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