The Future of Warfare: Ideology, Technology, and Domain. Strategic Comparison (PLA ESW vs. US MDO): From Dialectical Materialism to the Conquest of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

The military strategy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is driven by the systematic fusion of Party ideology and technological ambitions. Two PLA directives from October 2025 outline this framework: the "Five Principles" and Electromagnetic Space Warfare (ESW).

Doctrinal Fusion. Politics and Total Control:

1. Ideology (The Five Principles): Xi Jinping's military strengthening doctrine mandates the absolute supremacy of politics (dialectical materialism) over military action, ensuring every effort is centralized and aimed at "national rejuvenation."

2. Technology (ESW): ESW is the strategy for achieving Total Control of the Electromagnetic Domain (ED), viewed as the "super domain" and the "nervous network" of conflict. The goal is the pervasive destruction of enemy C2 systems, using hybrid attacks (soft- and hard-kill, such as lasers and microwaves).

Strategic Comparison: Control vs. Resilience. While the PLA seeks Marxist Total Control of the spectrum (ESW, centralized vision), the US response, Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), aims to overcome Chinese rigidity. MDO focuses on Distributed Resilience and Mission Command, creating "windows of opportunity" through the rapid convergence of effects across all domains. The challenge of the 21st century lies between Ideological Centralization (PLA) and Pragmatic Flexibility (USA).

by Gabriele and Nicola Iuvinale

I. The Ideological Foundation: The PLA's "Five Principles"

The strategic architecture of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is examined here, focusing on the interconnection between its ideological foundation and its military ambitions. The analysis is based on two fundamental PLA documents published in October 2025: the directives outlining the philosophical framework of the "Five Principles" and the specifications for Electromagnetic Space Warfare (ESW), both released by the China Military Network - People's Liberation Army Daily.

Contemporary Chinese military philosophy is framed by Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, presented as the crystallization of dialectical and historical materialism. The "Five Principles" are not just guidelines but a "great cognitive tool" that ensures military development remains firmly subordinate to the Party and its vision for the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

Principle	Strategic Focus	Military Implication
1. Uphold Political Leadership	Absolute Party Supremacy	Strategy and military operations are subordinate to politics; unconditional loyalty to the CMC Chairman (Xi).
2. Stop War with Force	War-Peace Dialectic	Peace is sustained only by the capability to win. Constant preparation and "extreme thinking" to prevent interruptions to national rejuvenation.
3. Be Proactive	Initiative, Science, and Technology	Shift from passive adaptation to the active design of war. Cutting-edge research to turn crises into opportunities.
4. Balance Overall Planning	Systems Thinking	Adopt a holistic approach (systems science) to coordinate military modernization with national economic development. Focus on primary contradictions.
5. Dare to Fight and Win	Will and Capability	Strengthen the fighting spirit ("more courage and tougher bones"). Confidence in combat stems from theoretical clarity and strategic skill.

Ideological Synthesis: The PLA must be politically pure, extremely ready for war (to achieve deterrence), guided by science and technology to maintain the initiative, and possess the unwavering will to fight for core national interests.

II. The Technological Objective: Electromagnetic Space Warfare (ESW)

The pursuit of the Electromagnetic Domain (ED) as the "super domain" and "nervous network" of the future battlefield constitutes the primary technological objective. ESW represents the practical execution of the "Be Proactive" and "Stop War with Force" principles, with the explicit aim of achieving the total and pervasive disruption of enemy networks.

• Conceptual Superiority (Super Domain): For the PLA, the ED is the common vector for all military activity (C2, reconnaissance, guided weapons). ESW is the means to achieve Total Control of the domain, moving beyond traditional Electronic Warfare (EW/ECM).

• Hybrid Weapons (Soft-Kill and Hard-Kill): ESW is evolving toward the combination of attacks:

  • Soft-Kill: Jamming and deception based on Artificial Intelligence algorithms (Digital Intelligence and autonomous decision-making).

  • Hard-Kill: Physical destruction of enemy systems using high-power lasers and high-power microwaves.

• Integration and Distribution: Utilizing networks of manned and unmanned platforms to create "Distributed Kill Chains," maximizing the effectiveness of fire and spectrum use while maintaining the initiative (Principle 3).

III. Strategic Comparison: ESW (PLA) vs. MDO (USA)

This totalizing and ideologically guided approach by the PLA is compared with the doctrine of its US counterpart, Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). The US response focuses on dynamic convergence and flexibility across domains.

Feature	Electromagnetic Space Warfare (ESW) - China	Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) - USA
Strategic Goal	Total Dominance of the ED (Principle 2). Pervasive disruption of enemy C2.	Temporary Superiority and creating "windows of opportunity" through rapid convergence.
Enabling Domain	The Electromagnetic Domain (ED) is the Super Domain that enables everything.	The Convergence of all domains (Land, Sea, Air, Space, Cyberspace) supported by JADC2.
C2 Structure	Centralized and Hierarchical (Principles 1 & 4). Efficient control and high-level spectrum planning.	Decentralized (Mission Command). Delegation of decision authority to increase response speed.
Methodological Basis	Dialectical/Historical Materialism (The Five Principles). Proactive design of warfare (Principle 3).	Pragmatism and System of Systems (JADC2). Adaptability and agility.

Conclusions of the Comparison

The crucial difference lies in the ideological and C2 approach. Chinese ESW is an expression of an offensive, totalizing, and centralized vision, driven by political necessity. US MDO, conversely, is a distributed and pragmatic response that seeks resilience through decision speed.

The struggle for military supremacy is thus waged not only between missiles and drones but between two fundamentally different philosophies of complexity management: the PLA's Marxist Total Control versus Western Distributed Resilience.