Avoiding an East Asia Arms Race

By Dennis Wilder

Dennis Wilder served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asian Affairs during President George W. Bush's second term.  He is currently a Research Fellow at Georgetown University's Initiative for U.S-China Dialogue on Global Issues.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, he set out to tackle rampant corruption and reinvigorate a slowing economy, but he also set the stage for the modernization and expansion of the country’s military.    In recent years, Xi has consolidated his control over the armed services as the military has projected power in the region and beyond.   The Cipher Brief’s Will Edwards turned to China expert Dennis Wilder, who focused on East Asia issues at the CIA and at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, to discuss the changing face of China’s military and the country’s force projection.

The Cipher Brief: What capabilities is China trying to improve or acquire with its military modernization programs?

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

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