Chansoria, Monika

Abstract
China’s strides towards the creation of a formidable military posture backed by a firm economic growth card demonstrate a resolve to assert its claim towards becoming an Asian superpower. By opting to showcase its military prowess to the world, the Chinese armed forces have signaled that they have come a long way from being essentially a rustic and bucolic ‘Red Army’ that waged a ‘people’s war’ six decades ago. The modernization program undertaken by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) can be interpreted as the foundation of deterrence to attain the objectives of military strategy. Today, the Chinese armed forces are not just preparing to fight wars in the future, but to deter or prevent their outbreak decisively by the possession of an adequate deterrent force, the determination to use that force, and assuring its credibility so as to cope with future small?scale, high?intensive regional combat and military operations. Robust military modernization of the PLA represents a contrasting facet to the tall claims made by China in so far as its ‘peaceful rise’ campaign is concerned. Based on the above data and ensuing analysis, one is confronted with a piercing question—why is China strengthening its military? It is difficult to envision this complex, opposing, however equally reinforcing ideas. As a consequence, the entire debate of an impending “China threat” (Zhongguo weixie) theory has progressively gained significance within the Asian continent and beyond.
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