China's security perspective

• Main Author: Moore, Tyler J.
• Other Authors: Miller, Alice
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/5704

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === The current (2010) National Security Strategy (NSS) states that: ?We will monitor China?s military modernization program and prepare accordingly to ensure that U.S. interests and allies, regionally and globally, are not negatively affected.? This thesis assesses a major element of that goal. As our president?s NSS points out, an understanding of how the People?s Liberation Army (PLA) operates is critically important to the American assessment of its own security posture in Asia. In 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld remarked: ?Since no nation threatens China, one must wonder: Why this growing [military] investment?? Despite assurances from the leadership of the People?s Republic of China (PRC) that its military modernization program is committed to peace and stability, many outsiders remain skeptical of growing Chinese power. However, one way to gain insight into the PRC?s intentions is to study its recent history and current strategy. History shows that the PRC balances against what it perceives as hegemony by seeking assistance from other regional powers and altering its defense strategy to deal with major security threats. Current PLA doctrine and capabilities show that Beijing seeks regional dominance through a strategy of anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) in order to defend the homeland and ensure security interests at home and abroad. The PRC?s former and current defense strategies show that Beijing?s perception of the United States as a major security threat is driving PLA modernization efforts and influencing America?s security posture in Asia. This is one of the most important issues facing the U.S. military today.