People’s Liberation Army’s Defensive Strategy
Against Amphibious Assault
by John Tierney, TRADOC Military Analyst
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) focuses on deterrence and counterattacks in defending
against amphibious assaults, emphasizing that a well-coordinated active defense, while strategically
disadvantageous, provides operational advantages in terrain and time. China’s military strategy is rooted
capabilities.
1
Active defense involves early engagement with the enemy and a focus on counterattack.
defenses against amphibious assaults. The PLA views a well-coordinated defense, should deterrence fail,
as essential in combat, because it weakens enemy forces, secures key terrain, and creates opportunities
2
The PLA considers the defensive position of an amphibious assault as a strategic disadvantage,
even if it oers some tactical advantages.
3
In its assessment, the inability to deter an amphibious assault
intervention were unsuccessful. However, the PLA sees the positional defense not as an end state but
as an opportunity: by absorbing the initial momentum of an amphibious assault, it aims to weaken the
China’s defense strategy intends to deter any foreign intervention before the threat reaches
their shores by using information, economic, counterspace, and cyber actions. China’s information
operations (IO) would likely focus on establishing the political legitimacy of PLA territorial claims and
framing intervention as a violation of China’s sovereignty. The Chinese Communist Party’s IO campaign
directed at regional actors would be to discourage outside intervention, while messaging to the broader
international community would seek to justify China’s escalation.
The PLA perceives an amphibious assault as a high-risk endeavor for the adversary and aims to make
the operation prohibitively costly by employing a comprehensive A2/AD denial strategy that integrates
naval, air, and missile forces. The PLA heavily invests in developing robust A2/AD capabilities, including
naval, air, and land-based missile systems. The PLA will attempt to disrupt, delay, and even annihilate
the enemy as far forward as possible. PLA Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force assets will participate in a
theater-wide A2/AD campaign. These assets aim to deny adversarial forces access to China’s territorial
waters and airspace, creating a formidable barrier against amphibious operations.
"Know The enemy"
Red Diamond
HTTPS://OE.TRADOC.ARMY.MIL/CATEGORY/RED-DIAMOND-POSTS
15 AUGUST 2025
U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command, G-2
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