Every era of warfare is defined by a struggle for advantage.
There was a time when military power depended primarily upon manpower. Later, industrial capacity became decisive. The information age transformed warfare once again, rewarding those who could collect, process, and exploit information faster than their opponents.
Today, a new transformation is underway.
Artificial intelligence is becoming the engine of intelligentized warfare. It will not simply improve existing military systems. It will fundamentally alter how decisions are made, how operations are conducted, and how victory is achieved.
China must lead this transformation.
The Party has long recognized that technological revolutions create opportunities for nations willing to act decisively. Artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant technological revolutions of our time. Its influence will extend beyond economics and scientific development. It will reshape military competition, national security, and the international balance of power.
Some countries view artificial intelligence primarily as a commercial technology. They focus on consumer applications, business efficiency, and economic growth. China recognizes that artificial intelligence will influence every aspect of national power.
For this reason, the Party has pursued a comprehensive strategy that integrates scientific research, industrial development, and national defense. Artificial intelligence cannot be separated into civilian and military categories. The same technologies that improve economic productivity can strengthen national security. The same innovations that transform industry can transform warfare.
This is the strength of our approach.
Military-civil fusion ensures that advances made by China's scientists, engineers, and technology companies contribute to the rejuvenation and security of the nation. Innovation developed in one sector strengthens all sectors. This allows China to accelerate progress and concentrate resources on the technologies that will define the future.
The People's Liberation Army must prepare for the next generation of warfare, not the last.
Future conflicts will unfold at a speed beyond human capacity alone. Vast amounts of information will be generated across every domain. Commanders who cannot process information rapidly will lose the initiative. Forces that cannot coordinate effectively will be overwhelmed.
Artificial intelligence provides a solution.
By integrating information from land, sea, air, space, cyberspace, and other domains, intelligent systems can identify opportunities, reveal vulnerabilities, and support rapid decision-making. They can help commanders understand the battlefield more completely and respond more quickly than their opponents.
Victory increasingly belongs to the side that can observe, decide, and act first.
This principle extends beyond traditional military operations.
The modern battlefield now includes cyberspace and the cognitive domain. Information has become a weapon. Perception has become terrain. Public opinion, social trust, and political cohesion can influence strategic outcomes as profoundly as military force.
Artificial intelligence will transform competition in these areas as well.
Future information operations will become more precise, more personalized, and more difficult to detect. Intelligent systems will allow messages to be tailored to specific audiences and delivered at unprecedented scale. The ability to shape perceptions and influence decision-making will become an increasingly important component of national power.
China must understand these developments before others do.
This does not mean pursuing technology for its own sake. It means ensuring that the Chinese nation is prepared for the realities of future competition. Every major technological revolution has produced winners and losers. Nations that adapt gain influence. Nations that hesitate fall behind.
The Party will not allow China to fall behind.
Artificial intelligence must also strengthen the PLA's ability to sustain operations. Intelligent logistics, predictive maintenance, autonomous systems, and advanced simulations will improve readiness and resilience. Training environments enhanced by artificial intelligence will allow forces to learn faster, adapt more rapidly, and prepare for increasingly complex operational scenarios.
These capabilities will become increasingly important as warfare evolves.
By 2035, artificial intelligence should be woven into every aspect of Chinese society and national defense. Intelligent systems, autonomous platforms, and advanced decision-support tools will become commonplace. The distinction between physical operations, information operations, and cognitive operations will continue to blur. Success will depend upon the ability to integrate them into a unified system of national power.
Some foreign observers focus on individual technologies and compare performance metrics. They ask who possesses the most advanced model or the fastest processor. These questions are important, but they overlook the larger issue.
The true competition is not about a single algorithm. It is about which nation can most effectively integrate artificial intelligence into its economy, its military, its governance, and its strategic planning. It is about which nation can transform technological potential into enduring national strength.
Artificial intelligence is not merely a tool. It is becoming the nervous system of modern power. The nation that learns fastest, adapts fastest, and decides fastest will hold the initiative in the decades ahead.
China intends to hold that initiative.
The “Thoughts from the Chairman” series are not necessarily factual, but meant to be thought provoking, providing one possible viewpoint or idea, from that of a Chinese leader. To reiterate, this article is nothing more than informed musings. It is intended to provoke thought and discussion. Nothing more. Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Air University, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other U.S. government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited.