Why China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies

From artificial intelligence to quantum technology and hypersonic weapons, the PLA is in a race to define the next era of warfare

Having marked its 99th anniversary on August 1, the People’s Liberation Army is now just a year away from its centenary goals, with its evolution highlighting the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the fourth part of

a series

,Amber Wang

looks at the PLA’s pursuit of emerging technologies.

In an influential book published nearly three decades ago, a PLA military strategist argued that China should not try to match the US weapon for weapon but instead develop asymmetric advantages against its stronger rival.

Unrestricted Warfare. He noted that warfare was entering an informationised era and that China was clearly lagging behind the United States.

Qiao – who co-authored the book with Wang Xiangsui – also said finance, cyberspace and psychological operations would be important in future wars.

“We don’t necessarily need to have what the US has,” Qiao wrote, back in 1999. “We need to have what it doesn’t.”

In the years since then, the book has drawn significant attention in Western military circles and has been studied at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York as part of broader discussions on Chinese strategic thinking.