Assassin’s Mace: A Chinese Game Changer

This is a study of China’s strategy called shashoujian—‘assassin’s mace’—that emphasises use of surprise weapons by an inferior force to defeat a superior one. It shows how modern China has adapted this strategy as it strides towards strengthening its position globally. It analyses how China is coordinating international relations, economic development, military advancement and security issues to gain dominance in the world scenario. Referring to a number of reports of the annual US Congress on military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China, it focuses on China’s evolution of combat disruptive technologies; trends in development of assassin’s mace or shashoujian weapons in secret, and its concept of operations that have a shocking effect if previously kept undisclosed. It examines the military modernisation undertaken by China and India and security implications of China’s military development for India.