Dr. Xiaobing Li, "The Dragon’s Wing: The People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s Strategy," Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs 5, no. 4 (July-August 2022): 125-36, https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/31/2003046337/-1/-1/1/15%20LI_FEATURE.PDF/15%20LI_FEATURE.PDF.
The Chinese air force was born in the Cold War and developed into one of the world's largest with 480,000 personnel and 3,700 airplanes, including the People's Liberation Army Air Force, Navy Air Force, and Army Aviation, which totaled 51 divisions by 2000. After becoming commander in chief in 2012, Xi Jinping shifted China's national security strategy from solely defensive to a defensive offense. Xi removed the traditional defensive principle of ·never open fire first· in war and now justifies any of China's future attacks as preventive or retaliatory. Jin Yong and Bo Rui point out, ·the Chinese air force will play a primary role in future warfare. The People's Liberation Army Air Force and People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force transformed from a tactical, defensive force within China to one capable of strategic, offensive missions beyond territorial borders. Ongoing reforms changed Chinese aviation research, development, and equipment priorities from modernizing high-tech hardware to combining both platform-centric upgrades and IT-software development for future network-centric warfare.
This article indicates that the Chinese air force progressed considerably toward building and fielding a formidable defense/offense force, assumed responsibilities that accompany the projection of national power in the Pacific region, and can resist airborne invasion, protecting aerospace sovereignty, and safeguarding China's maritime interests. The article explains People's Liberation Army Air Force strategy, intentions, and capabilities, and characterizes the Chinese Air Force as it pertains to the United States. Lack of transparency in the Chinese military and national security apparatus is a major hindrance to understanding the People's Liberation Army Air Force. In addition to lacking transparency, Chinese pilots· aggressive behaviors toward the American, Japanese, and Taiwanese air forces certainly fomented distrustful, hostile, and even confrontational impressions. American public debates and strategic research focus on how to best deal with the People's Liberation Army Air Force in case of crisis, such as in the Hainan US-China aircraft collision, and how to fight potential air wars over the South China Sea.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2022 07:41 |
| Category: | Newscasts |
| Audio ID: | 70021 |
| Filename: | 2208/DOD_109139770.mp3 |
| Length: | 00:37:46 |
| Artist | Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs |
| Year | 2022 |
| Genre | audio article |
| Location: | ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 0 |
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