Over the previous a number of years probably the most well-liked audio system at our annual LENS convention has been Mr. Dean Cheng. His luncheon presentation on “The Challenge of China: Lawfare, Technology, and More,” at out the 30th Annual National Security Law conference was one other hit.
I’m happy to inform you that the video of his remarks is now out there for viewing/listening is here. This yr in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of our convention, he does one thing of a retrospective of “how far China has come up to now 30 years of the LENS Convention.”
You’ll wish to hearken to his complete presentation, however listed here are a couple of snippets:
At one degree, fundamental capabilities-wise, submitted on your consideration, in 1995, the Chinese language navy had 18 destroyers. It had nonetheless 160 torpedo boats, one thing that John F. Kennedy would have been accustomed to. The PLA Air Drive in 1995 had about 25 Su-27 flanker-type fighter plane. It had 3,000 J-6 Farmers, which is the equal of the MiG-19.
To provide you a way, and that is 1995– the MiG-19 was up to date to the American F-100 Tremendous Sabre. It had 500 J-7 MiG-21s. This was the Chinese language navy we confronted in 1995.
The Chinese language economic system on a superb day was nonetheless most likely not within the prime 20 economies of the world. There was an earlier glorious presentation on area. In 1995, we had been nonetheless working with the Chinese language to launch American satellite tv for pc payloads on Chinese language rockets.
Quick-forward to at this time– in 2025, and that is on no account a complete overview, simply to present you a way– the Chinese language navy at this time has three plane carriers, 31 Kind 052D destroyers, that are akin to the US Arleigh Burke class, our cutting-edge destroyers, six Kind 55 cruisers, that are comparable, roughly, to a Ticonderoga class, however truly is extra just lately constructed and extra trendy. And that’s on no account all the Chinese language navy. That’s simply the destroyers and cruisers. So that they have actually dozens and dozens of frigates and no extra motor torpedo boats.
The PLA Air Drive has 450 J-11s, which is the equal of the Su-27. They’ve 600 J-10s, which is F-16-like fighter, and over 300 J-20 fifth-generation fighter plane.
Dean lays out China’s accomplishments in outer area over the past three many years:
From being a nation that may have the ability to launch someone else’s satellites, China at this time fields full constellations throughout all the foremost portfolios. They had been the third nation to deploy a place navigation and timing constellation after GPS and GLONASS. They did it forward of Europe. They’ve a human-rated area flight program, which Europe doesn’t have.
[The Chinese] are deploying three [satellite] constellations, every at the moment projected to be over 15,000 satellites. And actually, the Chinese language are fairly express in saying, we’re competing with and, hopefully, will drive out of enterprise Mr. Elon Musk and Starlink when it comes to offering satellite tv for pc– web satellite tv for pc bandwidth around the globe to a spread of consumers.
Some issues don’t change:
So with this development, there are, nonetheless, sure factors of fidelity. From the Chinese language Communist Occasion’s perspective, their core pursuits haven’t modified. The core pursuits stay– one, retaining the CCP in energy; two, what the Chinese language termed nationwide sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is why Taiwan issues– Taiwan is just not going away as a problem anytime quickly– but in addition, why Tibet is a matter, why Xinjiang is a matter; and eventually, sustained financial development as a result of because the CCP management understands, staying in energy is just partly a operate of repression and authoritarianism.
He later provides the observations beneath which might be of explicit curiosity to attorneys:
[The] the purpose right here is that for the foreseeable future, the Chinese language might be an element on authorized points, on ethics points, actually on nationwide safety points, and at that nexus level of authorized warfare as a result of authorized warfare is a part of political warfare is a part of how the Chinese language are shaping how we take into consideration the query and what language that query goes to be thought of in. And hopefully, one of many takeaways from this– hopefully, one of many takeaways from the broader dialogue right here — is the popularity that it’s not all about bombs and bytes, but in addition concerning the legislation and legality as one of many battlefields that we confront the Chinese language on
Clearly, it is a podcast that any scholar of world affairs is not going to wish to miss! Once more, yow will discover it here.
The views expressed by visitor audio system don’t essentially replicate my views or these of the Heart on Legislation, Ethics and Nationwide Safety, or Duke College. (See additionally here).
Bear in mind what we prefer to say on Lawfire®: collect the info, study the legislation, consider the arguments – after which determine for your self!
Watch this area for added podcasts from the convention. Some shows, nonetheless, had been for attendees solely, so save the date to attend LENS 31 set for 27-28 Feb 2026
Associated
