China’s Pursuit of “Integrated Strategic Deterrence”: Aims, Capabilities, and Impact on U.S.-China Strategic Stability

This study will be among the first and most comprehensive analyses of Chinese concepts and capabilities in relation to “integrated strategic deterrence”: the effective integration of military capabilities across multiple domains—including the nuclear, conventional, space, and cyber realms—to deter and compel adversaries in achieving China’s strategic objectives. Drawing primarily from authoritative Chinese-language sources as well as extended field research in China and the United States, the study will comprise three principal parts. First, it will explain and analyze Chinese concepts of integrated strategic deterrence and their evolution since the early-2000s. Second, the study will outline and assess the current and likely future state of PLA integrated strategic deterrence capabilities. Third, the study will present the implications of these developments for the United States, especially with regard to U.S.-China strategic stability, deterrence and deterrence signalling, Chinese threat assessments, and China’s warfighting strategies and operations. The study will also present recommendations for United States in response to these developments.