.       “Mega Trends in China’s Cyber, Space and Nuclear Capabilities:
Its Redlines and Strategic Behaviour
 

  A Round Table Discussion (RTD) on “Mega Trends in China’s Cyber, Space and Nuclear Capabilities: Its Redlines and Strategic Behaviour” was organised at the USI, on Wednesday, 17 Sep 2014.The session was chaired by Ambassador R S Kalha, IFS (Retd), who also spoke on “China’s Redlines on Contentious Issues and Likely Strategic Behaviour”   The other speaker were Lt Gen Davinder Kumar, PVSM, VSM & Bar (Retd) who elaborated on China’s Cyber & Space Modernisation”   and Dr Roshan Khaniejo, Senior Research Fellow, USI, discussed “Developments in the Second Artillery” . Mr Abraham M Denmark, Vice President of Political and Security Affairs at National Bureau of Asian Research, gave his views on all the above mentioned topics. 

On the cyber front it was discussed that China had adopted a “Systems” approach and proceeded to develop capabilities in accordance with her doctrine of “Integrated Network and Electronic Warfare”(INEW),now modified to “Information Confrontation”. China has made advancement in its space programme. China’s space based sensor developments is focused on increasingly high resolution, dual use space based electro-optical systems, synthetic aperture radars and electronic intelligence satellites  On nuclear issues, discussions revolved around the modernisation trends of Second Artillery, Chinese period of “Strategic Opportunity”, leading to enhancement of China’s “Comprehensive National Power, China’s campaign doctrine, along with “Active Defense. On China’s “Redlines and its Likely Strategic Behaviour”, it was stated that Tibet, Taiwan, and terrorism in its western province were the possible red lines. Also Chinese were also apprehensive that the US may instigate internal unrest in China (on the lines of “Orange revolution”.)

During the question-answer session, the questions varied from how China’s red lines could be breached and how will it then play out, to cyber espionage, space debris and China’s role in North Korea’s nuclear brinkmanship?. It was stated that it was difficult to predict how China will play up in future. Some of the strategists believed that the time for shaping China’s strategic thought process has passed off and that the present economically and militarily strong China will inevitably define its own goals (which paradoxically may not be realistic).