China Plans for ‘Total War’: Developing the Capacity to Defeat the ‘Strong Enemy’ of the United States

Abstract

Since at least 2021, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders have adopted a national security concept they call ‘total war’. In the CCP’s usage, total war is national mobilization to develop civilian institutional advantages that convert into warfighting capabilities, and it is implemented on the national level by the integrated national strategic system and capabilities (INSS&C). Leading CCP and PLA strategists also make clear that total war is intended to defeat the ‘strong enemy’ of the United States in long-term competition or, if necessary, military conflict. Total war has been elevated to the highest levels of China’s security policies and public documents, including the National Security Strategy for 2021–2025 and a 2024 update to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) military strategic guidelines.