Chinese Views of Future Warfare

by Michael Pillsbury

Book Overview

"Michael Pillsbury's new book ... is must reading for every executive of every Western firm doing business in China, and every Member of Congress.... Readers will be impressed ... by China's ambitions... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579060161
• ISBN13: 9781579060169
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: National Defense University (NDU)
• Length: 421 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Important writings on modern Chinese strategic thought

"Chinese Views of Future Warfare," edited by Michael Pillsbury is a somewhat dated compendium of writings by military authors and strategists from the People's Republic of China. Even so, the book is a rare and important collection of thought on national military strategy and operational art. The book's most relevant section, given China's anti-missile test (January 2007) and burgeoning economy (now roughly three-quarters the size of America's), is that on the Revolution in Military Affairs. Most of these pieces were written not long after the United States and its allies overran Iraq in the 1990-91 Gulf War. The speed and low cost of that victory over a numerically superior force caused some significant soul searching among Chinese strategists. The most common thread being: develop the commercial sector, then exploit new technologies and methods to achieve superiority. Topics discussed with some intensity include: space combat, stealth and counterstealth, computer and communications attack (paralysis of command), and winning a war without actually fighting. The understanding one comes away with after reading "Chinese Views" is that of a very robust and sophisticated debate on the future direction of Chinese national power and how to best serve the leadership in Beijing with it. This debate clearly shifted after the impressive U.S. victory over Iraq in the Gulf War in 1990-91. Given the time elapsed since then, it is likely that many of the more innovative policy prescriptions have already been implemented, greatly enhancing the combat effectiveness of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China. For students of China, this book rates 4 stars as it is showing its age. For the casually curious, only 3 stars. Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, a California State Assemblyman, he served as a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the Department of Defense from 1986 to 1988, retired from the Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel, and is the co-author of "China Attacks."