Hearing on China’s Military Modernization and Its Impacts on the United States and the Asia-Pacific
Opening Statement of William Reinsch
Co-chair
March 30, 2007
Washington, DC
The issues we will be exploring today are important – not because conflict with China is likely, but because the cost of miscalculation is unaffordably high. For this reason, it is important that we understand as best we can the intentions behind China’s military modernization and strategic planning.
In the last decade, the Chinese military has expanded its technological sophistication and power projection reach to a greater extent than at any previous time in the last century. In October 2003, China became the third country to put a human being into space. In January 2007, China also became the third country to intentionally destroy a satellite in space.
Three months prior to the anti-satellite launch, Beijing released a space white paper which gives the assurance that “China is unflinching in taking the road of peaceful development, and always maintains that outer space is the common wealth of mankind.”
All these recent developments indicate that China is rapidly becoming more technologically sophisticated. Were our efforts to coexist peacefully to fail and we were to find ourselves in a conflict, over Taiwan or something else, their asymmetrical military capabilities could lengthen the conflict and make it considerably more difficult and expensive for the United States.
The question for the United States, and for the U.S. Congress in particular, is what should we do about all this? How can we best protect our fundamental national interests while acting as a responsible member of the community of nations? The Commission greatly appreciates the witnesses who are appearing today, and who appeared yesterday, sharing their wisdom about how these questions should be answered. We have two panels this morning. The first will address China’s information warfare, missile warfare, cyber operations, and other disruptive capabilities, and the second will focus specifically on what China’s military objectives are in space.
Those who are on the first panel have been asked to give their views on the technologies that are being developed for or are already employed in the Chinese military that could thwart the qualitative superiority of U.S. forces, including technologies used for conducting information warfare, cyber attacks, and counter-space strikes.
Our first witness is Dr. Ehsan Ahrari. Dr. Ahrari is a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii. He authored numerous books and journal articles, and specializes in U.S. strategic issues affecting the Middle East and parts of Asia, including China.
Our second witness is Dr. James Lewis who is the Director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Before joining CSIS, he was a career diplomat and worked on a range of national security issues in that capacity.
- Let me remind the panelists that your initial remarks should be limited to seven minutes. When each of you reaches the five-minute mark, the yellow light will be illuminated in the small boxes on the table in front of you and on the dais, and when your full seven minutes has been consumed the red light will be illuminated. If you reach that point, please complete your remarks rapidly, and I’ll apologize in advance for needing to interrupt you. I do want to emphasize that your entire prepared statement, as you have submitted it, will be a part of this hearing’s record that is posted on the Commission’s website along with the transcript of your oral testimony and the dialogue with Commissioners that will follow.
We are pleased that both of you could join us today, and we look forward to your testimony.