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Unrestricted Warfare is the English title of a book on military strategy written in 1999 by two Colonels in the People's Liberation Army, Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui. Its primary concern is how a nation such as China can defeat a technologically superior opponent (such as the United States) through a variety of means. Rather than focusing on direct military confrontation, this book instead examines a variety of other means. Such means include using International Law (see Lawfare) and a variety of economic means to place one's opponent in a bad position and circumvent the need for direct military action.

The English translation of the book was made available by the FBIS on the internet in the same year. Reportedly, the United States Naval Academy wrote to the authors to ask for permission in using this book as their official textbook. The book didn't get much publicity in China until the 911 attacks, when unrestricted warfare became reality. The book was then published in America, with the subtitle "China's Master Plan to Destroy America" and a picture of the burning World Trade Center on the cover. These additions were thought to be misinterpretations of the text, not intended by the original authors.

Weaknesses of the United States

The book notes that the primary weakness of the United States in military matters is that the US views revolution in military thought solely in terms of technology. To the US, military doctrine evolves because new technology allows new capabilities. As such, the United States does not consider the wider picture of military strategy, which includes legal and economic factors. Since no consideration is put into these aspects, the United States is vulnerable to attack along these lines.

Alternative methods of attack

Reducing one's opponent, the book notes, can be accomplished in a number of ways other than direct military confrontation. The book notes that these alternative methods "have the same and even greater destructive force than military warfare, and they have already produced serious threats different from the past and in many directions for...national security."

Lawfare

Lawfare, or political action through transnational or non-governmental organisations can effect a policy change that would be impossible otherwise. Because of the international nature of the modern world and activism, it is much easier for nation-states to affect policy in other nation-states through a proxy.

Economic warfare

Thanks to the interconnected nature of global economics, one nation can inflict grievous harm on the economy of another nation without taking any offensive action. The book cites George Soros' role in the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Soros, a currency speculator, sold a great amount of stock in currencies of several East Asian Nations, contributing to a large devaluation. Similar attacks can be taken by a nation for ideological reasons.

Network warfare

One of the better-known alternatives in this book is the idea of attacking networks. Networks are increasingly important in not only data exchange but also transportation, financial institutions, and communication. Attacks that disable networks can easily hamstring large areas of life that are dependent on them for coordination. One example of network warfare would be shutting down a network that supplies power. If there is a significant failure in the power grid caused by the attack, massive power outages could result, crippling industry, defence, medicine, and all other areas of life. Network Warfare was most famously used against the United States in the 2002 game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, when Georgian President Kombayn Nikoladze uses network warfare to attack the United States and disable its infrastructure.

Terrorism

Another famous instance of Unrestricted Warfare policy is terrorism. Terrorism is used by a group to gain satisfaction for certain demands. Even if these demands are not satisfied, a terrorist attack can have vastly disproportionate effects on national welfare. One only has to look at the economic crisis that followed the terrorist attacks against the United States, or the extensive security measures put in place after those same attacks. Terrorism erodes a nation's sense of security and well being, even if the direct effects of the attacks only concern a minute percentage of the population.

Defence against unrestricted warfare

The authors note that an old-fashioned mentality that considers military action the only offensive action is inadequate given the new range of threats. Instead, the authors advocate forming a "composite force in all aspects related to national interest. Moreover, given this type of composite force, it is also necessary to have this type of composite force to become the means which can be utilized for actual operations. This should be a "grand warfare method" which combines all of the dimensions and methods in the two major areas of military and non-military affairs so as to carry out warfare. This is opposite of the formula for warfare methods brought forth in past wars."

Implications

As the authors state, the new range of options combined with the rising cost (both political and financial) of waging traditional warfare results in the rising dominance of the new alternatives to traditional military action. A state that does not heed these warnings is in dire shape.

External links

• Unrestricted Warfare in .pdf Format
• Selections from Unrestricted Warfare
• Modern warfare – the battle for public opinion in .pdf Format - article (31st July 2006)
• Unrestricted Warfare Symposium - annual Johns Hopkins University symposium with proceedings

• Military strategy books
• Chinese literature
• National security
• 1999 books