„Unrestricted Warfare” (超限战) – A Chinese Viewpoint on Power Competition in the 21st Century

Abstract

This paper strives to analyze and give an overview of one of the key books of contemporary Chinese strategic studies, titled „Unrestricted Warfare” (超限战), written by QIAO Liang and WANG Xianshui. The consequent analyzis embeds the overview of the book within the historical context of its conception as well as the relevant aspects of Chinese geopolitical thinking.
„Unrestricted Warfare” was written as a consequence of one of China’s most important foreign policy shock experiences of recent years, the 1995-96 Taiwan Strait Crisis, therefore it can be viewed as a reaction to China’s conceptions of external threat perceptions. The virtue of the book is not necessarily it’s academic achievements in the field of strategic studies, rather the endeavour to conceptualize and disseminate issues of 21. century power struggles to a large domestic audience, strengthening the resilience of the Chinese public.