China’s actions in the South China Sea, on its border with India, in the Arctic and its establishment of a military base in the Horn of Africa are all indications of a more militarily assertive China that will have important impacts on the international order. During the pandemic the country has taken numerous opportunities to project its growing military capabilities. For example, it repeatedly sent warplanes into Taiwanese airspace and used an overwhelming number of fishing vessels to occupy a reef in the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines. Western leaders are at odds about how to interpret China’s actions and wonder how China might project its military capabilities in the future.

The Washington State China Relations Council and the National Bureau of Asian Research hosted a discussion with experts to help us understand China’s strategic goals, the trajectory of its expanding military and how it might be used in the future.