Chinese views of the US war in Iraq: warfighting lessons

Abstract

Chinese readings of the US war in Iraq in respect of warfighting have been divided between those who took an information-centric warfare (IW) view, and those who adopted the people’s war (PW) view. The key assumption of IW view is that information technology (IT) and related concepts were so thoroughly utilised that they were central to the US military victory in Iraq. The PW view, however, focused on the unconventional tactics that were or could have been used by Iraq to exploit the US vulnerabilities. This paper sets out the main outlines of the two views as reflected in the Chinese military press and journals, and attempts to synthesize the analytical dynamic that underlies China’s military modernization drive.