China's Responses to its Evolving Security Environment

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

China's security environment has changed quickly over the past few years, as have its relations with major powers in the region and the United States. This panel explores how China's policymakers have responded to these changes, with a focus on military and economic levers. Hundman and Lind show that tge People's Liberation Army is likely to be less effective in battle than many expect, Doshi argues that tightening focus on overseas interests is pushing China to develop a blue-water navy, Beckley exlores what an economic slowdown could mean for military modernization, and Norris, similarly, explores the implications of China's ongoing economic transformation for its grand strategy. Together, the papers provide a broad view of how China is working to protect its national security in a fast-changing environment.

Sub Unit

• Division 19: International Security

Individual Presentations

• Red Flags: Assessing the Security Implications of China’s Economic Slowdown - Michael Beckley

• "Can China Fight? Assessing the Battlefield Effectiveness of the PLA" - Eric Hundman, NYU Shanghai; Jennifer M. Lind, Dartmouth College

• Domestic Economic Influences on China’s Grand Strategy - William J. Norris, Texas A&M University

• The New Imperative: Protecting China's Overseas Interests - Rushabh Doshi, Brookings Institution

Chair

• William J. Norris Texas A&M University

Discussant

• Elsa Babette Kania Harvard University