Beijing leverages a deep-seated sense of 'victimhood' to portray itself as a moral actor, frequently framing unilaterally initiated offensive operations as righteous 'counterattacks in self-defence,' China Specialist Vijay Gokhale, told Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale.
In his latest book, 'China's Wars - The Politics & Diplomacy Behind its Military Coercion,' Gokhale conducted a deep dive into the conflicts China has engaged in over the last eight decades. This revealed that the Communist Party of China views the use of force as a fundamentally political act, and conflict is inherent in its DNA.
Giving examples of some of the conflicts China has been involved in—such as the 1962 war with India, the 1969 war with Russia, or the 1979 war with Vietnam—Gokhale notes that Beijing is willing to sustain significant military losses to secure its larger strategic goals.
He also added that the Chinese concept of deterrence differs from the Western concept. For Beijing, deterrence is not a reactive measure, but a preemptive, offensive strike designed to deliver a sharp political shock and prevent an adversary from acting.
One of the book's key conclusions is that China prefers short conflicts and how it has mastered modern 'grey zone' warfare. It also brings out how China seamlessly integrates military threats, diplomacy, and aggressive information warfare to psychologically overwhelm its opponents.