China preparing for 'protracted' war, says think tank

LONDON -- China is learning from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and starting to prepare for a "protracted" war in the Indo-Pacific region by making legal changes that will help integrate military and civilian mobilization, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said on Tuesday.

Recent moves by China to ease any return of reservists and veterans to their former units as well as give the military access to civilian infrastructure and fuel stocks show Beijing's thinking about how to fight a conflict in the Indo-Pacific, said Meia Nouwens, senior fellow for Chinese security and defense policy at the IISS.