The concept of intelligentized warfare in the PRC's military and political strategy: technological, information, and geopolitical dimensions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2217.2026.67.118-125Keywords:
People's Republic of China, intelligentized warfare, People's Liberation Army (PLA), artificial intelligence, cognitive warfare, cyberspace, geopolitical leadership, Mission CommandAbstract
Background. The article examines the doctrinal and organizational transformation of the military-political strategy of the People's Republic of China in the context of global rivalry with the United States. It explores the evolution of the CCP leadership's approaches to utilizing the information sphere as an instrument of geopolitical influence and power projection.
Methods. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of primary sources (PRC strategic documents, laws, and CCP reports) and secondary data from leading Western think tanks (RAND Corporation, GMF). The systems method was applied to examine the concept of intelligentization as an element of the PRC's security architecture; the structural-functional method was used to assess reforms in the PLA's command and control systems; and the comparative method was employed to identify differences between the stages of "mechanization," "informatization," and "intelligentization" of warfare.
Results. Key priorities for the technological rearmament of the PLA, alongside the integration of artificial intelligence, big data systems, and quantum technologies into the military sphere, have been identified. The study reveals the internal dilemma of the Chinese leadership between strict centralized party control and the implementation of flexible command (Mission Command). It is demonstrated that the cognitive domain and cyberspace have transformed into independent instruments for reshaping the geopolitical landscape without direct conventional conflict.
Conclusions.The accelerated implementation of the intelligentized warfare concept by Xi Jinping's administration to preserve China's strategic positions in the Asia-Pacific region is substantiated. The mechanisms of the indirect impact of the U.S. - PRC confrontation on Ukraine's security environment through the redistribution of Western partners' resources are defined. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization of the PRC's "intelligentized warfare" concept and the analysis of its impact on the security environment around Ukraine amid the global confrontation between Washington and Beijing.
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