Robert Spalding is a retired United States Air Force brigadier general. The proposals of his latest book, War Without Rules: China’s Playbook for Global Domination, and the global geopolitical situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine were discussed in Karpacz.
What are the main proposals and hypotheses posed by Spalding? He focuses on the hazardous strategic trend adopted by the West nearly two decades ago. – “Western democracies permitted the transfer of resources to China. Beijing capitalised on Western democratic mechanisms and the interconnection of Chinese and Western systems. The peril facing the West doesn’t arise from democracy being an inadequate system but rather from this interplay. The Internet, for instance, was originally expected to expand the boundaries of citizen freedoms and democracy. However, China has turned it into a tool against Western interests”, argued the retired general in Karpacz.
According to Spalding, much like technology, such as GPS or stealth, had enabled the US to establish itself as a dominant global military force, China’s utilisation of technologies and economic instruments provided by the West has enabled Beijing to attain its current global political standing. This encompasses the unconventional warfare referenced in the book’s title, conducted against the West through a wide range of political, economic, and technological means. Unlike traditional armed conflicts, these actions do not adhere to well-defined rules or boundaries, blurring the distinction between war and peace. – “China will strive to maintain the engagement with the West in many areas”, Spalding added.
The retired general pointed out that China could put digital technologies and platforms enjoyed by Chinese citizens to international use through its global diaspora.
Spalding emphasised that Chinese activities suggest that the invasion of Taiwan can take place even this year.
