China’s new Defence White Paper

China recently released its Defence White Paper. The white paper reflects both continuity and change. There is evident progress in the specific capabilities of the Chinese military. Ascertaining the quality, quantity and direction of this transformation requires careful scrutiny.

This discussion will examine the following key questions.

• Does the Defence White Paper adequately capture the changes that have occurred and how does it compare with previous white papers?
• While there has been some measurable and tangible success, several obstacles and challenges lie ahead for China’s military and apex decision makers. What implications does the white paper hold for China’s military standing for its immediate neighbours and how have states across the Indo-Pacific reacted to its release?

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Speakers

Kartik Bommakanti, Associate Fellow, ORF

M.S. Pratibha, Associate Fellow, IDSA

Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, ORF

Pravin Sawhney, Force Magazine

Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.L. Narsimhan, NSAB, & Director General, Centre for Contemporary China Studies

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Programme

3:00 ‒ 3:30 p.m. | Registration

3:30 ‒ 3:35 p.m. | Welcome remarks | Manoj Joshi

3:35 ‒ 3:50 p.m. | Remarks | Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.L. Narsimhan

3:50 ‒ 4:00 p.m. | Remarks | Pravin Sawhney

4:00 ‒ 4:10 p.m. | Remarks | M.S. Pratibha

4:10 ‒ 4:20 p.m. | Remarks | Kartik Bommakanti

4:20 ‒ 4:55 p.m. | Q&A

4:55 ‒ 5:00 p.m. | Closing remarks | Manoj Joshi

5.00 p.m. onwards | High tea