| ID | 147054 |
| Title Proper | Vulnerability of rising powers |
| Other Title Information | the logic behind China's low military transparency |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Skylar, Mastro, Oriana |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Scholars and officials persistently criticize China for low transparency in its military affairs. Why does Beijing exacerbate the asymmetric information problem, even though this theoretically increases the likelihood of conflict? I offer an explanation, the vulnerability hypothesis, for why rising powers are likely to reject military transparency and the conditions under which this may change. By evaluating over 100 authoritative Chinese sources, I identify four threads of Chinese strategic thinking consistent with the vulnerability hypothesis: the United States is inherently dangerous as a declining hegemon, transparency heightens the risk of war during power transitions, transparency grants operational advantages to the opponent, and only the strong can leverage transparency to enhance deterrence. These findings have implications for power transition theory and US–China military relations. |
| `In' analytical Note | Asian Security Vol. 12, No.2; May-Aug 2016: p.63-81 |
| Journal Source | Asian Security Vol: 12 No 2 |
| Key Words | Vulnerability ; Rising Powers ; China's Low Military Transparency |