MISSILE DEFENCE AND CHINA - M. S. Prathibha

This is the reason why the Second Artillery was upgraded; unlike the Russian example, the Chinese leadership left out the word “strategic” from the name, instead titled it as only “Rocket Forces,” denoting the outlook through which the Chinese saw the composition of the forces. [...] The Chinese themselves saw the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) as a response to Soviet advances in first-strike capabilities and were generally sympathetic to the American policymakers.10 The superpower politics of the Cold War and the anti- imperialistic rhetoric in the Chinese discourse were largely responsible for influencing China’s critique of the nuclear arms race. [...] Overall, a combination of increased trade between the US and China on nuclear cooperation and the impact of proliferation norms on the Chinese also made sure that the cooperative effects of the relationship was strong.13 The Chinese concessions towards the US and pragmatic attitude towards nuclear arms control created an impression that the US and China would continue to cooperate on nuclear arms. [...] This dual strategy became part of the Second Artillery’s role and was strengthened under the military strategic guidelines of war under high-tech conditions in the early 2000s.41 41 Yang Guoliang and Sui Mingtai, “Forging the Eternal Soul of Strategic Missile Force-Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Party and the 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Second Artillery”. [...] China has been arguing that the Patriot missiles and associated systems increase the air superiority of the Taiwanese and in turn threatens the security of the Mainland, and also shows that Taiwan is in a quasi-military alliance with the US.61 To counter this vulnerability, China has shown that it can to increase the efficiency of its deterrence with regard to Taiwan by diversifying the convention.