Chinese Views of Future Warfare

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 in space, information warfare, stealth, and robots, in future warfare.... No one with serious interests in East Asia can afford not to have read this book.Robert Ellsworth,former Deputy Defense SecretaryAmerican relations with the People's Republic of China have now become the single most critical bilateral relationship in the world. On it rests the stability of East Asia, and it represents the most significant challenge to the effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy, Yet far too little is known about China, and in particular how the Chinese military think about the future.Michael Pillsbury has performed a signal service in selecting, translating, and interpreting these revealing and hard-to-obtain writings by senior Chinese officers, The reader is in for a surprise. Rather than parading the tired slogans of People's War, these analysts examine a military future marked by 'information deterrence', 'crippling attacks on information systems' and similar notions and by a search for 'new measures of effectiveness.' The future remains uncertain, but the best preparation-- as Sun Tzu might say-- is to understand the mind of those with whom we must deal.James Schlesinger,former Director of Central Intelligenceand former Secretary of DefenseThis book reflects the keen interest that its sponsor, the Director of Net Assessment, Andy Marshall, has shown in Chinese views of a potential revolution in military affairs. The translation and publication of these articles enhance our understanding of how some of China's authoritative military strategists see the revolution in military affairs in the 21st century.William Perryformer Secretary of Defense