What Does China Think?

I will have to dig out the PLA list on China Threats and Counter-Balances. There's a whole list of well-researched methodologies in dealing with American aggression in particular. One is called, humorously, 'Lawfare' where International Law is used as a real weapon. Another is Real Power where military might is circumvented by popular opinion..and this is what happens when the US continually invades foreign countries for very bizarre reasons...this kind of enterprise actually weakens US power in the World Popular Mind (which is very important) without the Chinese having to do anything except watch...and lend them money, which also weakens US power. There's also Trade Warfare, Drug Warfare, Terror Warfare etc.


Its a fascinating list. You can find it in Mark Leonard's great little think-tank book What Does China Think? Well balanced, concise, and well worth reading.

In dealing with American superior military might, the Chinese are not seeking to spend that much money, like the USSR tried to do. Instead they only focus on the weakest parts of the American military might and then concentrate on being the best at that part. This is far more economical and provides a situation where the Americans, to 'keep up', have to re-invest billions in their weakest links all the time. This is a 'non-parallel' way of dealing with immense abiding hegemonic threat.

At the same time China is getting much better at shooting down satellites than the Americans like; so even though the US is stretched economically, they must now invest in better and far more expensive sentinels in space....always understanding that no one in their right mind would go to war with China. This is the problem within contemporary US aggression patterns since being hauled over the coals by Vietnam. Ever since that lesson, the US only go to war with countries that have been weakened enough so that they cant fight back. China is strong and getting much stronger and they can fight back.