CHINESE MILITARY MODERNIZATION UNDER XI: HARBINGER OF A NEW GREAT POWERS RIVALRY
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Abstract
Chinese rapid growth in the economy is compelling its investment in enhancing and expanding military modernization. Defensive compulsions amplify Chinese gradual tilt towards complementing technological advancements in the military sphere. For this purpose, China is undergoing a process of robust military modernization. This paper aims to dissect China’s military modernization under the leadership of President Xi. It comprises of three portions. The first part theorizes the process of Chinese Military Modernization. Structural Anarchy in International Politics and Security Dilemma helps us in understanding the process of Chinese Military Modernization. The second part of this study explains the process of military modernization of China under the leadership of President Xi. This part explains three dimensions of Chinese military modernization under President Xi; Evolution of Chinese Military Doctrine, Reorganization of People Liberation Army (PLA), and technological advancements in Chinese weaponry. The final part of this study explains the rising challenges to the existing international order in face of the Chinese rise.
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References
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world-drones/ (Accessed: September 3, 2022).
Bitzinger, R. A. (2021). China’s Shift from Civil-Military Integration
to Military-Civil Fusion. Asia Policy, 28(1), 5–24.
https://doi.org/10.1353/asp.2021.0001
Bloomberg News (2021, November 22). China’s Hypersonic Test
Showed Unprecedented Capability, FT Says. Retrieved from
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-22/chinalaunched-missile-from-hypersonic-weapon-in-july-ft-says
(Accessed: September 3, 2022).
Brown, D. (2021, July 28). Why China could win the new global arm
race? BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news
/world-asia-china-59600475 (Accessed: September 17, 2022).
Cote, O. R. (1996). The politics of innovative military doctrine: The
U.S. Navy and fleet ballistic missiles [PHD Thesis],
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fravel, M. T. (2019). Active Defense: China’s Military Strategy since 1949.
Princeton University Press.
Garafola, C. L. (2016, September 23). PLA Reforms and Their
Ramifications. The Rand Blog. https://www.rand.org
/blog/2016/09/pla-reforms-and-their-ramifications.html
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Roman military. Retrieved from
https://www.historyextra.com/period/roman/roman-legionhow-fight-how-many-men-weapons-armour-legionarycenturion/ (Accessed: August 20, 2022).
Horowitz, M. C., & Kahn, L. A. (2021, November 4.). DoD’s 2021
China Military Power Report: How Advances in AI and
Emerging Technologies Will Shape China’s Military. Council
on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org
/blog/dods-2021-china-military-power-report-how-advancesai-and-emerging-technologies-will-shape (Accessed: August
25, 2022).
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Spirit of the Quad. The White House. Retrieved from
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/12/quad-leaders-joint-statement-the-spiritof-the-quad/ (Accessed: September 5, 2022).
House, T. W. (2022, February 11). FACT SHEET: Indo-Pacific Strategy
of the United States. The White House. Retrieved from
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speechesremarks/2022/02/11/fact-sheet-indo-pacific-strategy-of-theunited-states/ (Accessed: September 5, 2022).
IDSA (n.d.). The Evolution of Chinese Military Doctrine. Manohar
Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
Ilhan, B. (2020). China’s Evolving Military Doctrine After the Cold
War. SETA, 59.
Infographic (n.d.). The World’s Most Powerful Militaries. Statista
Infographics. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/chart
/20418/most-powerful-militaries/ (Accessed: August 26, 2022).
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China: Regional influence and strategy. Brookings. Retrieved
form https://www.brookings.edu/research/global-chinaregional-influence-and-strategy/ (Accessed: August 30, 2022).
Klare, M. T. (2019). An ‘Arms Race in Speed’: Hypersonic Weapons
and the Changing Calculus of Battle. Arms Control Today,
49(5), 6–13.
Lock, R. (1977). The Macedonian Army Assembly in the Time of
Alexander the Great. Classical Philology, 72(2), 91–107.
McFadden, J., Fassler, K., & Godby, J. (2019). The New PLA Leadership:
Xi Molds China’s Military to His Vision. National Defense
University Press.
Missile Threat (n.d) Missiles of China. Retrieved from
https://missilethreat.csis.org /country/china/ (Accessed:
September 13, 2022).
Mulvenon, J. (2016). China’s Goldwater-Nichols? The Long-Awaited
PLA Reorganization Has Finally Arrived. Hoover Institution,
49.
Phillip C. Saunders, & Wuthnow, J. (n.d.). China’s Goldwater-Nichols?
Assessing PLA Organizational Reforms. National Defense
University Press, 82.
Tripak, J. A. (2021, November 4) Report: New Stealth Aircraft and
Capabilities in China’s Air Arms Eroding U.S. Advantages.
Retrieved from https://www.airforcemag.com/report-newstealth-aircraft-and-capabilities-in-chinas-air-arms-erodingu-s-advantages/ (Accessed: September 20, 2022).
Sanger, D. E., & Broad, W. J. (2021, November 28). As China Speeds
Up Nuclear Arms Race, the U.S. Wants to Talk. The New York
Times.
Schweller, R. L. (1996). Neorealism’s status‐quo bias: What security
dilemma? Security Studies, 5(3), 90–121. https://doi.org/
10.1080/09636419608429277
Shelbourne, M (2021, November 3) China Has World’s Largest Navy
With 355 Ships and Counting, Says Pentagon. USNI News,
Retrieved from https://news.usni.org/2021/11/03/china-hasworlds-largest-navy-with-355-ships-and-counting-sayspentagon (Accessed: September 7, 2022).
Shivamurthy, A. G. & Bommakanti, K. (2021). China’s Military
Modernisation: Recent Trends. Retrieved from
https://www.orfonline.org/research/chinas-militarymodernisation-recent-trends-2/ (Accessed: August 28, 2022).
Staff, A. J. (2021, October 27.). Top US general: China missile test ‘very
close’ to Sputnik moment. Retrieved from
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/27/us-generalchina-missile-test-very-close-to-sputnik-moment (Accessed:
September 17, 2022).
Sunzi. (1910). Sun Tzǔ on the Art of War: The Oldest Military Treatise
in the World. Luzac & Company.
Turan, H. (2021, April 21). Is the US-China strategic competition a
cold war? Atlantic Council. Retrieved from
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/is-theus-china-strategic-competition-a-cold-war/ (Accessed:
September 25, 2022).
Waltz, K. N. (2001). Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Analysis.
Columbia University Press.
Warner, M., & Childress, J. (2020). The Use of Force for State Power:
History and Future. Springer Nature.
Welle, D. (2021, October 11.). US has lost AI race with China, exPentagon chief says. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/
us-has-lost-ai-race-with-china-ex-pentagon-chief-says/a-
59464881 (Accessed: September 21, 2022).
Wintour, P. (2021, September 16). What is the Aukus alliance and
what are its implications? The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/16/what-isthe-aukus-alliance-and-what-are-its-implications (Accessed:
September 7, 2022)
Wuthnow, J., & Fravel, M. T. (2022). China’s military strategy for a
‘new era’: Some change, more continuity, and tantalizing
hints. Journal of Strategic Studies, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/
01402390.2022.2043850
Wuthnow, J. (2021). A new era for Chinese military logistics. Asian
Security, 17(3), 279–293. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/
14799855.2021.1880391