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The Chinese military aims to use cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence developed by the private sector to improve its offensive capabilities in domains such as cyberspace and outer space, a group of experts from the Japanese Ministry of Defense warned on Friday.
Beijing aims to match the overall military capability of the United States by transforming its People’s Liberation Army into a world-class fighting force with the help of advanced technologies, the National Institute for Defense Studies said in its annual report on the United States’ security strategy. China.
The report said that until the Chinese catch up with the US military, “the PLA will increase its interference and attack capabilities to prevent US military use of the cyber and space domains.”
The China Security Report 2021 was released as the rivalry between Washington and Beijing has intensified, as has the competition for technological hegemony.
The United States has restricted semiconductor exports to Huawei Technologies Co., the Chinese telecommunications giant aiming to expand its dominance of next-generation 5G technology.
5G technology will allow the transmission of large amounts of data at extremely high speeds, allowing telecommunications devices to connect to numerous products and services, including those related to military affairs, through digital cellular networks.
China is increasing its investments in private sector science and technology companies under the country’s strategy of merging corporate and military advancements through nationalization so that other countries cannot interfere, according to the report.
China recognizes the importance of information dominance in modern warfare, especially in cyberspace, where digital espionage is an area of focus, the think tank said.
He also noted that China is gaining more information mastery to prepare for a “smart war” that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and game theory to analyze opponents’ intentions and decisions to provide guidance to their commanders.
The report also said that such integration of the military and private sector has “made Western countries recognize the need for countermeasures that link the economy and security, and has led them to strengthen trade and investment regulations.”
China’s move toward using advanced technology has raised concerns not only with established global powers, but also with neighboring countries, including Japan, he said.
Japan has mixed fighter jets against Chinese drones in the past and the report points to cases where a small drone-like aircraft entered Japan’s airspace around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea in May 2017 and also April 2018.
In the latter, an aircraft, apparently another drone, entered Japan’s air defense identification zone, the outer portion of territorial airspace north of the islets.
Regarding the incidents, Masaaki Yatsuzuka, a NIDS investigator and lead author of the report, said: “Human-manned aircraft are fighting drones. These are asymmetric ways of dealing with aerial threats.”
“The report suggests how the Japanese Self-Defense Forces or Defense Ministry should deal with patrolling drones in the future,” he said.
Yatsuzuka’s analysis found that military innovation is making progress in China, but it faces a dilemma in that it requires actual battle experiences to further drive development.
“The PLA is filling the gap with practical training. There is a possibility that China will operate in areas that do not increase escalation, such as patrol activity. They have already started it in the East and South China Seas,” he said.
The report concludes that “if China pursues a military strategy in the new era that places considerable weight on the strategy against the United States, an international order defined by the rivalry between the United States and China is likely to remain in the medium and long term.”
It also urges Japan to improve its defense capabilities in new domains, including AI, while deepening its alliance with the United States and conducting strategic dialogue with China through bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
