Has China taken a step towards a US-style pre-emptive strike policy?
- New study suggests the PLA is moving from an ‘active defence’ footing to a ‘proactive’ one
- But Chinese military experts say China will not change its policy of ‘not firing the first shot’
This more aggressive strategy could destabilise regional security as China gains strength but its similarities with the approaches taken by the United States and Russia could help the three powers better understand each other, and eventually encourage conflict prevention and crisis management talks, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
“Changes to China’s postures and technologies indicate that its concept and practice of ‘active defence’ may be converging with more forward-leaning and even pre-emptive ‘proactive defence’,” the report said.
An active defence involves preparing for a pre-emptive strike from an enemy while a proactive defence goes one step further to include plans for making a pre-emptive strike.
The report, released late last month, said China had displayed a wide range of military deterrence abilities, from anti-satellite weaponry to expanded intercontinental ballistic missile silos, and more weapon launch platforms.