Dispatch: China's New Weapons Systems
Video Transcript:
Vice President of Strategic Intelligence Rodger Baker examines possible reasons for China's recent, unusual showcasing of the J-20 stealth fighter and Varyag aircraft carrier.
Editor’s Note: Transcripts are generated using speech-recognition technology. Therefore, STRATFOR cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
The Chinese have appeared to carry out another test flight of the J-20, the aircraft China is developing with stealth technologies. This comes shortly after Beijing has allowed state media to publish imagery of the Varyag, the aircraft carrier that China has been working on, and suggesting that that aircraft carrier is going to be deployed soon.
China does not appear to be hiding some of these new technologies that it's developing, and in fact may seem to be showing them off. This is somewhat unusual compared to Chinese behavior in the past; with sensitive systems such as submarines, for example, they normally keep them out of the spotlight as long as possible. There are a few reasons the Chinese may be doing this at this time.
On the one hand, there's always the issue of nationalism. By showing both domestically and internationally that the Chinese have the technology, that they have the capability -- not only to imitate other people's systems but to develop new systems and to develop systems that are normally associated with major powers like the United States, like Russia -- it demonstrates that China is one of the major global powers out there, not only economically, but in the military and technology field as well.
Domestically, one of the purposes this may serve is to create a stronger sense of national unity and a sense of nationalism. The Chinese have already laid out that their economy is a global economy, that it shows that China has emerged from the old days and is now a strong and powerful nation. But there are a lot of problems at home, there are a lot of economic problems, social issues that are rising up, and the government in Beijing is looking for ways to refocus popular attention so that it's not risking any broader unrest at home.
There may also be in the release of this imagery and in the allowing of people to see this a reflection of this new security policy that was recently promoted by Chinese President Hu Jintao. The Chinese president has suggested again that the region should work cooperatively, that there should be a common sense of security. And China is demonstrating that it has the ability to step into a leadership role there.
The real issue in China right now is not about whether or not they can float one aircraft carrier or whether they can ultimately develop stealth technology. It is how are they interacting, particularly in the South China Sea region? What are the patrols that they're carrying out? How are they working with her neighbors? In what sense do the neighbors perceive them -- either as a partner or as a threat to their national interests?
