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Chinese study warns defence contractors can skew national security policy

The study argues the US “iron triangle” of the Pentagon, private contractors, and congressional committees can create an armaments expansion cycle driven by profits rather than external security pressures.

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A Chinese study from researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s National Institute of Strategic Studies warns Beijing about the risk that defence contractors gain too much influence over defence policy, pointing to the US military-industrial complex as an example, according to SCMP Economy.

The paper says Washington’s “iron triangle,” linking the Department of Defence, private contractors, and congressional committees, has “hijacked” national security policy by creating a mutually reinforcing alliance where profits, expanded budgets, and political capital align.

The authors argue that lobbying and a risk of manufactured conflicts and threat perception help sustain a self-perpetuating cycle, described as “military expansion, increased revenue, mutual benefit, further expansion,” which the study says can drive armament growth independent of external security pressures.

Lead author Gu Jianyi cautioned that expanding armaments merely for profit carries an inherent risk, framing defence contractor influence as a driver of policy decisions rather than security needs.

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