At Congress’ direction each year, the Department of Defense (DOD) issues a report assessing China’s military capability. This year, the Pentagon report, in keeping with the Biden administration’s buzz words “decisive decade,” looks at Beijing’s expanding military capability through the end of 2021. Consistent with China’s plan for dominating the global economic and military landscape, the Pentagon describes an ambitious program for increasing conventional and nuclear weapons capability. However, what should be most worrisome for Biden’s national security team is China’s objective to increase its number of nuclear warheads from the current estimate of 400 in 2021 to 1,500 by 2035 – a three-fold increase.
The report opens with a review of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) strategic objectives saying:
“The PRC’s national strategy aims to achieve ‘the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ by 2049. The strategy is a determined pursuit of political, social, and military modernity to expand the PRC’s national power, perfect its governance, and revise the international order in support of Beijing’s system of governance and national interests.”
Additionally, the report explains the Communist Chinese Party (CCP) views the United States as an “obstacle” to its achieving its goals. From a Beijing foreign policy perspective, the PRC seeks to build what it calls a worldwide “‘community of common destiny’ that supports the ‘great rejuvenation.'” But this idea of “community” really means a hegemonic worldview where China dominates, and the vision of China’s president Xi Jinping of the world prevails. Xi has asserted openly and frequently the autocracy of the PRC is in the ascendancy and that democracies are declining.
Pentagon Report Reveals Rapid Expansion
The CCP intends to accomplish its objectives, not just through robust economic outreach, but more importantly, by expanding the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) across the full range of its military. Achieving this goal by 2049 is essential as a symbol celebrating 100 years since the formation of the PRC. As the Pentagon report points out, the PLA intends to “modernize its capabilities and improve its proficiencies across all warfare domains so that, as a joint force, it can conduct the full range of land, air, and maritime, as well as nuclear, space, counterspace, electronic warfare (EW), and cyberspace operations.”
What is clear is the PLA is aiming at having a wall-to-wall military force to backstop all expansionist plans it has. Most recently, the attention has been on the sovereignty and security of Taiwan. But, as the Pentagon assessment explains, the “provocative and destabilizing” PLA operations in and around the Straits of Taiwan are increasing and lend credence to Xi’s threats of using force to reunify Taiwan and mainland China. But it’s not just Taiwan where the CCP sees an opportunity to establish its military power. “The PRC is seeking to expand its overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances,” the Pentagon assessment explains. US defense planners see this persistent encroachment as potentially disrupting “US military operations as the PRC’s global military objectives evolve.”
China Will Depend on Its Entire Society
Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
However, China’s approach to its national security does not depend on its military prowess only. “Beijing plans to fuse its civilian and military sectors through a combined effort to integrate science and technology innovations, blend military and civilian expertise,” Caitlin McFall and Liz Friden explained in writing for Fox News. China’s military initiatives are not just a “whole-of-government” approach but rather a whole-of-the-nation” approach to China’s national security capability. The CCP intends to employ every aspect of Chinese society to leverage military and civilian services for furthering the rejuvenation goals, either in economic competition or war. No means are off the table. The Pentagon’s warnings about the PRC’s methods include espionage, stealing intellectual property, poaching talent, and gray zone warfare techniques. All are fair game.
The congressionally mandated 173-page study of China’s growing capability to replace the US as the most powerful nation should be a cautionary tale for legislators. A rapidly growing nuclear power and demonstrably aggressive global expansion operations require an uncompromising US response. It will take at least a whole-of-government strategy from the Biden administration.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliation.
