This paper describes China’s overall approach to 5G and the modernization of its
military, contributing to a better understanding of how China’s military and domestic
security services might leverage 5G capabilities. A variety of sources will be analysed,
including official strategy documents, articles and essays by government officials and
PLA-linked scholars, and commercial documents like due diligence and market
analysis reports. Official sources can reveal society-wide efforts like ‘informatization’,
which touch upon virtually every aspect of Chinese economic, political, and military
programmes. 19 Unofficial sources, such as academic publications and newspapers
linked to the PLA can add additional context. While unofficial sources are not an
indication of government views, they can reveal China’s ambitions around 5G in more detail. As a 2020 report from the Brookings Institution explains, President Xi Jinping
and other high-level government officials are unlikely to discuss specific technologies,
and sensitive topics like the military applications of 5G are not discussed in government
documents.
20 No analysis of China’s emerging technology sector can capture sensitive
or classified activities, such as investments by China’s military. Still, this paper aims to
present available sources, which may reveal important insights about the current
landscape of military 5G within China.
