Chinese neuro-strike programme: Pushing cognitive warfare to a new level
July 8, 2023
A worrisome dimension of the Chinese weapon programme relating to the weaponisation of public opinion in target countries has been confirmed by a twelve-page report of US researchers. The report entitled “Enumerating, Targeting and Collapsing the Chinese Communist Party’s NeuroStrike Program” indicates that China has developed a new type of neuro-strike weapons that are not only capable of disabling the cognitive capabilities of targets but can also control their brains. These weapons can cause neurological problems in a human, reduce his awareness, and tamper with the brains of soldiers in battle. NeuroStrike, as defined by McCreight- a well-known expert on cognitive warfare, refers to the engineered targeting of soldiers’ and civilians’ brains using distinct non-kinetic technology to impair cognition, reduce situational awareness, inflict long term neurological degradation, and fog normal cognitive functions.
Significantly, the report underlines that NeuroStrike and psychological warfare are a core component of its asymmetric warfare strategy against the US and its Allies in the Indo-Pacific, and are part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) standard order of battle; not an unconventional set of capabilities only to be used under extreme circumstances. This represents the strategic thinking of China.
The report points out that China’s weaponisation of neuroscience extends well beyond the scope and understanding of classical microwave weapons; it now includes using massively distributed human-computer interfaces to control entire populations as well as a range of weapons designed to cause cognitive damage. Sources of resistance against China can be eliminated through these weapons by instilling intense fear or other forms of cognitive incoherence resulting in inaction.
The Academy of Military Medical Sciences has a division called the PLA Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, where such weapons are manufactured. This institute was placed on the United States export control blacklist in December 2021 with its leading role in CCP NeuroStrike research serving as a key justification.
China has been working for a long time to evolve a strategy to win wars without fighting adversaries, in accordance with Sun Tzu’s dictum. In late 1990s, China came up with its “No Contact Warfare” strategy, which was based on creating confusion in the adversary’s command and control system. In 2014, it came up with its ‘Three Warfares Strategy’ comprising psychological warfare, media warfare, and legal warfare to achieve its objectives. Broadly, the objectives of this strategy are to seize the “decisive opportunity” for controlling public opinion, organise psychological offence and defence, engage in legal struggle, and fight for popular will and public opinion.
The report points out how this strategy was used in the South China Sea (SCS). It contained seven steps. First, it changed the ground conditions and tried to shape the internal and external environment to support its claims. Second, utilise international arbitration to delay any settlement, while continuing to change the ground conditions. Third, dismiss the validity of international arbitration rulings in the event of an adverse ruling and shift focus on domestic laws. Fourth, claim the entire nine-dash-line area that was forcefully taken by foreign aggressors, based on manufactured historical evidence. Fifth, launch a high-voltage propaganda on its claims and project that China is exercising its legitimate rights to fully recover from the ‘Century of Humiliation.’ Sixth, utilise Chinese media, social media, and public diplomacy to achieve the objective. Seventh, use the Chinese Maritime Militia, Coast-Guard, and PLAN for intrusions in the EEZs of other countries and deny them oil exploration activities. China used these operations to divert international attention from its activities in the SCS and along the Indo-Tibetan border during the pandemic.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/ChanakyaCode/chinese-neuro-strike-programme-pushing-cognitive-warfare-to-a-new-level