Managing Escalation and Limiting War in a Conflict in the Western Pacific
Abstract
How can the United States prevail in a limited war with China that could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons? This problem is becoming increasingly severe due to China’s growing conventional military power and its modernizing nuclear arsenal, which in turn are enabling a more assertive foreign policy. Given its interests and commitments in the Western Pacific, the United States therefore needs to be able to effectively deter and, if necessary, prevail in a way that favorably controls escalation against this increasingly potent China. Yet this problem has thus far received scant attention, leaving the country unprepared for the paradigmatic next potential war. This project would seek to help rectify this gap by conducting innovative research designed to elucidate the implications of China’s growing military power for the U.S. ability to effectively conduct a limited war, identify weaknesses in this respect in existing and planned U.S. strategy and posture, and recommend steps to improve the U.S. ability to favorably manage escalation while achieving its political goals in a conflict with China. This project would serve an important public purpose by helping to illuminate the increasing problems in managing escalation in the Western Pacific and thus by drawing public attention to the need to mitigate them. Thus far public discussion on these issues has not focused on this challenge, leaving the public less able to understand, monitor, and contribute to U.S. policy on these matters.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 2016
- Source ID
- N002441510056
Entities
People
- Elbridge Colby
Organizations
- Center for a New American Security
- Office of the Secretary of Defense