Article,
Annual Report to Congress: Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2007
DoD (USA) - Annual Report to Congress, (2007)
Abstract
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 against high-tech adversaries -- which China refers to as ``local wars under conditions of informatization.'' China's ability to sustain military power at a distance, at present, 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 military contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of U.S. intervention, appears to be an important driver of its modernization plans. However, analysis of China's military acquisitions and strategic thinking suggests Beijing is also generating capabilities for other regional contingencies, such as conflict over resources or territory. China's strategic forces modernization is enhancing strategic strike capabilities, as evidenced by the DF-31 intercontinental range ballistic missile, which achieved initial threat availability in 2006. China's counterspace program -- punctuated by the January 2007 successful test of a direct-ascent, anti-satellite weapon -- poses dangers to human space flight and puts at risk the assets of all space faring nations. China's continued pursuit of area denial and anti-access strategies is expanding from the traditional land, air, and sea dimensions of the modern battlefield to include space and cyberspace.
