Armed forces modernisation and shifts in the perception of the Chinese threat

In: Međunarodni problemi: International problems, Band 73, Heft 2, S. 310-336

Abstract

Following the principles of realist school of international relations we are
analysing the shifts in Chinese military budget, military posture and
overall modernization of armed forces before and after the American ?Pivot?
to Asia. These results are later compared to the United States? foreign
policy and military posture in East Asia that had changed in the past
decade. Employing Walt?s theory of balance of threat in the following
article we have analyzed the shifts in Chinese military power and how other
regional actors? perceptions had changed during the last two decades of the
21st century. China that began internal balancing at the end of the
twentieth century wasnot perceived as a threat to American interests in East
Asia, which could potentially alter the regional status quo. The United
States along other regional countries didnot perceive Chinese growing
military power that was primarily land based, as a factor that should be
contained. However, things started to change as Beijing assertiveness in
South China Sea alerted other regional actors of Chinese growing naval power
and political aspirations. As the research results show, the idea that any
kind of balancing can lead to revisionism in the unipolar system is only
partially correct concept which can be affected by intensity and nature of
balancing politics.