China seeks to develop, and is achieving, advanced technological systems that offer asymmetric advantages over even a superior adversary. Beijing has extremely ambitious plans and estimates that it will complete the modernization of its armed forces by 2027 and surpass any other force by 2049.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), like other major powers, has also identified and defined new domains of warfare: space, cyberspace, polar regions, undersea space, the biological domain, and the cognitive domain. Developing networked systems for these domains requires the comprehensive integration of advanced technology and the recruitment and training of specialists.
According to Chinese thinking, big data and artificial intelligence should be harnessed to achieve information superiority and military superiority. This development demonstrates the close relationship between military and civil actors required to achieve the strategic goals of the PLA.
Military-civil fusion is intended to address Western restrictions on technology exports. Much of the emerging and disruptive technologies that the Chinese armed forces and security services seek to acquire are multi-use technologies developed by commercial actors in the civil sector. Close cooperation between military and civil forces reduces R&D costs and the overall cost of such programs.
Beijing sees space as crucial to future conflicts. China is launching a large number of satellites and is competing with the United States to become the largest space power. The space program has both a civilian and a military component, but all of China’s space resources can be used for military purposes. Beijing views space as its “Air Front” and is developing anti-satellite weapons (ASAT), cyberwarfare networks, and real-time data-providing satellites for precision missile strikes. The Tiangong (Space Station) program and Long March launches demonstrate the capability for military use of space, including jamming enemy GPS satellites.
Biotechnology is already a strategic investment area, and Beijing is also seeking to exploit it militarily. Several major state laboratories specialize in biological research. These mainly supply the civilian sector, but the research also has military potential. To varying degrees, other state research institutes, civilian and military hospitals, and civilian corporations contribute to research and development that also enhances military capabilities. The PLA has access to data and knowledge from the entire spectrum of Chinese research and development communities.
China is strengthening its presence in the Arctic, where the geographical shift of ice is opening up new strategic and economic opportunities. Beijing defines itself as an “Arctic State” and is investing in icebreakers, research stations, and satellite monitoring. Militarily, access to these routes would enhance China’s naval agility and ability to threaten Russia’s and NATO’s northern supply routes.
Military research and investment also extends to the undersea realm. The People’s Liberation Army is developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and undersea satellite communications to detect and destroy enemy submarines. China is also asserting control of the South China Sea with artificial island military bases, while exploring undersea resources (such as rare earths and water vapor) for strategic independence.
China is preparing for multidimensional wars in the 21st century, where the polar regions, oceans and space will be critical battlefields. With military-civil fusion and technological innovations, Beijing wants to secure global supremacy before the dates of 2035 and 2049.
Summary Trend Analysis
- 1949–1970: Focus on core nuclear and space capabilities.
- 1980–2000: Missile development and reforms after the 1996 crisis.
- 2000–2020: Acceleration of asymmetric technology (ASAT, hypersonic missiles, AI).
- 2020–present: Strategic superiority in space, cyberspace, and biotechnology.
