27 February 2016
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- China’s “Informationised Warfare”: Impact on the Region – Analysis
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken many significant reforms in recent months to better fight and win “informationised wars”. This is coupled with an aggressive behaviour driven by a sense of victimisation, as seen in Beijing’s posture over maritime territorial disputes. This invites offsetting actions on the part of the region.
China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) has been undergoing profound transformation since at least the turn of the century. These changes have permeated every facet of the PLA – technological, organisational, and doctrinal. The ongoing reorganisation of the PLA – including the putative reorganisation of its military regions; the creation of joint commands; the strengthening of top-down leadership by the Central Military Commission (CMC); and the establishment of a national Rocket Force – underline the Chinese leadership’s commitment to establishing a modern military system with Chinese characteristics.
With Chinese leaders expressing their desire to develop their country into a maritime power, Beijing has also begun to demonstrate its resolve to follow through with its declarations to build a force that is capable of fighting – and winning – “informationised” wars.
… Richard A. Bitzinger is Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Military Transformations Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
IDSS / Online
Last updated on 29/02/2016