China’s Military Is Playing for Keeps: Will the U.S. Remain a Contender?

Dean Cheng / August 16, 2010

After a very protracted gestation and calls from Congress for its release, DOD today finally unveiled the latest report on China’s military capabilities, as called for under the FY 2000 National Defense Authorization Act.

What is surprising in this report of some 83 pages is how little of its content is actually surprising.

For example, the report reminds us that, not only is the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) a large force, but it is also increasingly sophisticated. This sophistication is reflected in its growing ability to conduct joint operations (i.e., operations involving land, sea, air, space, and cyber forces). It is also reflected in its people, who are thinking carefully about the shape of future wars, as reflected in the emphasis on “informatized war,” i.e., the application of information technology to all aspects of warfare, from command and control to logistics. (more…)