Author : Paul S. Oh
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 45 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (744 download)
Book Synopsis Assessing Chinese Intentions for the Military Use of the Space Domain by : Paul S. Oh
Download or read book Assessing Chinese Intentions for the Military Use of the Space Domain written by Paul S. Oh and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The continuing rise of Chinese political and military power has made Americans suspicious of China's intentions in the space domain. For many in the American defense community, the 2007 Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test was the smoking gun that proved China's ultimate desire to challenge American space dominance. Other experts, however, have proposed a more benign intent behind such actions, leading to vigorous debates over Chinese motives and the appropriate American responses. How can American policymakers decipher Chinese intentions for space to craft sound defense policy? This monograph proposes that to understand Chinese intentions, it is necessary to examine the current schools of military thought vying for influence within China's policymaking apparatus. The school with the most influence should dominate decisions regarding the development of Chinese space capabilities, and hence the direction of their military space policy. Such an examination suggests that although Chinese actions may appear to challenge American power, the dominant influence of the Local War school of thought indicates that China's primary intention for space is to reinforce its regional hegemony. Experts have used multiple models to tackle the question of Chinese intentions. Most have defaulted to some version of the Rational Actor model. From this perspective, events in foreign affairs are "more or less purposive acts of unified national governments." As Allison and Graham discuss, however, there are alternative models to explain government actions. In the Government Politics model, policy outcomes are "resultant of bargaining games among players in the national government." Traditionally, proponents of the Government Politics model have analyzed the competition within China along institutional lines. This monograph utilizes a variation of this model, analyzing the bargaining along the lines of alternative schools of military thought. In applying the schools of thought framework, the monograph begins with an a priori analysis of the various schools within the People's Liberation Army and how each school might influence the development of military space policy. The three schools of thought are broadly categorized as the People's War school, Local War school, and Revolution of Military Affairs school. In theory, each school will support the development of distinctive technology, doctrine, and organization of the military. These developments will produce capabilities that inform the strategic posture of China vis-a̓-vis its potential adversaries. Each school of thought will also be concerned about the domestic impact of military space policy to different degrees. The monograph analyzes China's military space policy by using these criteria of "strategic military posture" and "societal impact." The examination of two Chinese space programs, the Anti-Satellite program and the manned space program, shows the dominant influence of the Local War school of thought. This informs the nature of Chinese intentions for the military use of space and possible ramifications for the American military."--Abstract.
