China's Military Strategy Is the Monroe Doctrine in Mandarin

Key Points:

• The common debate framing China’s military as either a global power projector or a regional enforcer is misleading and leads to flawed U.S. defense strategies focused on global power projection rather than regional denial capabilities.
• Historically, rising powers convert economic strength into military reach, and China is following this pattern by building a military focused on controlling its immediate region, especially around Taiwan and the South China Sea, rather than pursuing global expeditionary forces.
• China’s military strategy emphasizes anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities, such as missiles and submarines designed to keep U.S. forces at bay regionally, which is more cost-effective and sustainable than the global naval presence maintained by powers like the U.S. and Britain.
• Controlling the Asia-Pacific region is critical because it generates most of the world’s economic growth and maritime trade, giving China leverage over global economics without needing a worldwide military footprint.
• U.S. defense planning errs by preparing for a global Chinese military threat modeled on the Soviet example, rather than recognizing China’s focused regional strategy, risking a misaligned force posture that may fail in a conflict shaped by shore-based missile threats.