The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has long studied the United States, and American culture is readily accessible to China through movies, online videos, and social media. But U.S. sailors do not have similar access to China’s culture, which could present a vulnerability.
General military training (GMT) requires sailors to demonstrate a level of understanding in topics such as counterintelligence and cyber awareness. GMT directives cover far-reaching, easily distributed training events that can quickly inform sailors about a topic and test their knowledge in the same sitting. But a notable missing element is training on the nation’s biggest competitor, China.
Since World War II, the U.S. Navy has upheld the rules-based order at sea, but that order has slowly eroded. In his Navigation Plan 2021, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday uses boldface to describe China as “our most pressing long-term strategic threat.” It is imperative sailors understand exactly what the challenge is and how their work on board a ship or on shore contributes to meeting it. The framework for the GMT should offer a baseline understanding of China’s naval operations and their effects on U.S. Navy operations today and in future. The GMT could be structured in three sections: introduction to China’s naval operations, China’s military doctrine, and how the U.S. Navy’s missions support countering China.
Chinese naval operations presently fall mainly along the “gray zone” spectrum of conflict, also sometimes lumped with “low-intensity conflict” and “asymmetric warfare.” Operating below the level of conventional conflict, the PLAN—alongside the China Coast Guard and People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia—has expanded its influence by harassing shipping and fishing vessels, building and claiming sovereignty over man-made islands, and obstructing innocent passage. Some U.S. sailors may have observed these operations in the South China Sea firsthand, but most have not had such experiences. Naval gray zone operations present ambiguous challenges that may require a tactical response—a good topic for GMT.
China’s military doctrine remains based in Mao Zedong’s military thought. Modern China has limited warfighting experience, but its doctrine draws on its 1927–49 civil war and the anti-Japanese resistance from 1937 to 1945. Chinese doctrine is centered on the concept of people’s war, which assumes the entire populace and its resources will be used for however long it takes to drive out invading forces. It also emphasizes that offensive operations are the only way to victory. Defense can be employed in the face of a superior force, but it should always be active and seek to reorganize forces to launch an offensive.
This training module can also look at the Belt and Road Initiative, which defines China’s grand strategy to become a dominant power through economic, military, and diplomatic efforts. In particular, China seeks to develop a Maritime Silk Road from the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca, into the Indian Ocean and onward to the Arabian Gulf. While it will take decades to build the extensive network of ports, bases, and diplomatic relations they wish for, Beijing is making progress. China has invested in artificial intelligence, unmanned vehicles, and a growing surface fleet to become a blue-water navy capable of operating globally.
The final portion of the training should examine the specific U.S. naval operations that do or might counter the PLAN. The Navy’s role is paramount, serving to create a flexible presence, demonstrate U.S. power, and ensure sea lanes are open to free and fair trade. As the seas become contested, there will be an increasing demand on the fleet to deny China opportunities to exert its power in ways that violate international law.
In his Navigation Plan, Admiral Gilday writes: “Our Sailors must be able to outthink and outfight any adversary.” Part of being able outthink your adversary is knowing who they are. Sailors need focused GMT to be able to learn the essentials about China.
