Publication

This report analysis the modernization of China's People's Liberation Army. The author describes the impact of such change upon the PLA's image, status, and interests. Modernization may foment friction between military and civilian authorities competing for political primacy and limited resources, or create within the PLA divisive social issues similar to those dogging Chinese civil society generally. In one worst case scenario, the PLA is an aggressive, nationalistic entity fueled by radical Chinese militarism. In a positive scenario, a more professional PLA with enhanced capability and self-confidence might become a safer, less insular military that understands the need for disciplined action and measured responses, bound by well-understood rules of engagement and, overall, a more potent force for preserving regional stability.