China Is Planning For A 'Short, Sharp War'

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Of Course The PLA Is Planning For A 'Short, Sharp War' -- James R. Holmes, The Diplomat

The “revelation” that China’s military is planning for a quick war with Japan should shock no one.

So Captain Jim Fanell, grand intel wizard for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, made headlines this year — again — at the WEST conference on maritime affairs out in San Diego, California. And again, the headlines come from speaking the plain truth in un-politically-correct language. Captain Fanell opines that China is preparing for a “short, sharp war” with Japan over the Senkaku Islands.

‘Zounds! Who’d've thought military forces prepare for armed conflict in peacetime? Or that they prefer to fight short, sharp wars rather than long, dull ones?

George Washington, call your office. Now parse Jim’s words. (The Naval Diplomat was sitting next to him when he uttered the unutterable, so I get to be familiar.) Enlightened opinion on this side of the Pacific Ocean evidently finds one of two things unfathomable: that Beijing is contemplating war, or that the People’s Liberation Army prefers to avoid a protracted test of arms should one prove unavoidable. Let’s take those possibilities in turn.

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My Comment: Everyone is always planning for a short and quick war .... including the Chinese. But not everyone implements such a scenario. The question then needs to be raised .... will the Chinese actually do it instead of planning for it.

Update: Here is an interesting read .... China’s Military Modernization: Why It Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means -- The Diplomat

Update #2: Another interesting read but this time from the Economist ... China’s fast-growing defence budget worries its neighbours, but not every trend is in its favour.