Comments on: Lessons from the Crisis http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/2012/11/02/lessons-from-the-crisis/ The Nuclear Secrecy Blog Thu, 23 May 2013 20:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Bill http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/2012/11/02/lessons-from-the-crisis/#comment-11578 Bill Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:03:30 +0000 http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/?p=3250#comment-11578 Great posting. There’s a very interesting and critical view of the Belfer Center Web site, or at least part of it, at http://www.washingtondecoded.com/

]]> By: Steve Huntsman http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/2012/11/02/lessons-from-the-crisis/#comment-11577 Steve Huntsman Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:07:07 +0000 http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/?p=3250#comment-11577 Elias’ lesson is in fact well known to current China hands. There is a vast literature on the rise of the PLA, and much of it takes into account what Chinese analysts are saying and publishing. One constantly hears about China’s desire (need?) to break out of the “first” and “second island chains” and China’s perception of geographic vulnerability and containment. For instance, the recent uptick in attention about the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands has a great deal to do with this, as does the Chinese “string of pearls” basing approach for providing a capability of breaking the island chains.

It is also worth noting that this has informed the strategic doctrine and technology of the PLA through the development of A2AD as exemplified by antiship ballistic missiles and the ginormous array of missles pointed at regional airfields, the demonstration of cyber capabilities, etc.

I presume a big difference between now and then is that it’s a lot easier for US analysts to digest and disseminate Chinese strategic thinking that it was in the Soviet case.

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