{"id":16265,"date":"2020-11-27T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/11\/27\/the-war-with-china-as-i-saw-it\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:25:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:25:28","slug":"the-war-with-china-as-i-saw-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2020\/11\/27\/the-war-with-china-as-i-saw-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The war with China, as I saw it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ten years ago, as China\u2019s rise accelerated, I sounded out several fellow authors of informed military fiction, proposing that we collaborate on a World War Three-style series about a new Pacific conflict. I would handle the action at sea, they the land, air, and space aspects. I thought such a series might serve as a warning, in the same way fiction had alerted us in advance of previous dangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They begged off, one saying there was zero possibility of such hostilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unconvinced of that, I proceeded to craft \u201cThe War With China\u201d on my own. This six-book series was published by St. Martins\/Macmillan. It recounts how a near-future war might unfold, on land, at sea, in the air, in space, cyberspace, and on the all-important home front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, a decade later, the likelihood of such a conflict is the topic of everyday discussion and, no doubt, of detailed planning. Force structures, acquisition, and training are all being hastily revised against just such a contingency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I lay no claim to clairvoyance. But I\u2019ve spent many years researching how such a conflict might evolve. I had my scenario development and defense analytical experience to call on, but based everything on open-source materials, buttressed by historical studies. I was also helped by dozens of serving and retired military members, both junior and very senior, who contributed ideas and vetted my drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\t