The shift in the balance of power in the Strait can be seen, in particular, through the prism of missile threats and missile defence, a key aspect of the current security balance. China has developed a long-range strike capability, both conventional and nuclear, which is profoundly transforming the balance of power in the Strait and challenging US military dominance in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The doctrinal shift can be traced to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when China\u2019s defence strategy was rebuilt around Taiwan as a defining issue, against a backdrop of a sense of powerlessness in the face of US military superiority in the region. China is therefore seeking to acquire the means to manage escalation in a flexible and gradual manner, relying heavily on new conventional and nuclear precision strike capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was during this period that the doctrinal foundations underpinning China\u2019s precision strike capability were redeveloped: the conceptualisation of precision strikes as a decisive asymmetric capability; the notions of a window of opportunity and the targeting of strategic objectives; and the further development of \u2018strategic deterrence\u2019 based on a variety of means, including, indeed, primarily, conventional ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The objective is twofold:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diversification, modernisation, massification and dualisation of resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Four major trends can be identified in the development of China\u2019s strike capabilities: diversification, modernisation, mass production and dual use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diversification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modernisation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Massification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dual-capability:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taken together, these developments threaten to undermine US dominance in the theatre, giving Beijing the capacity to inflict substantial damage, manage escalation with greater finesse, and lend greater credibility to the use of nuclear weapons in relation to the Taiwan issue. China\u2019s long-range precision strike capabilities also constitute one of the main threats to Taipei.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The shift in the balance of power in the Strait can be seen, in particular, through the prism of missile threats and missile defence, a key aspect of the current security balance. China has developed a long-range strike capability, both conventional and nuclear, which is profoundly transforming the balance of power in the Strait and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-china"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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