Right Sizing The People's Liberation Army: Exploring The Contours Of China's Military

Abstract : "Right-Sizing the People's Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China's Military" is the ninth volume in this series published by the Strategic Studies Institute, and it represents the collective scholarly efforts of those who contributed to the People's Liberation Army Carlisle Conference 2006. With military spending and modernization that have persisted with little or no abatement or recantation for well over a decade, China has the entire international community wondering to what ends such growth will be put. This question, which was addressed at the 2006 PLA Conference, raises another important question: What would a "right sized" PLA look like? In other words, in terms of China's national security strategy, regional and global requirements and expectations, and domestic drivers, what might an armed force consistent with Beijing's legitimate self-defense requirements be composed of and how large would it be? The PLA Conference, by exploring the right size for PLA missions, functions, and organization, provided insight into future Chinese defense planning, strategic intentions, and potential PLA missions. This volume -- harvesting the fruit of research and discussion from the 2006 PLA Conference -- considers the force structure of the PLA and China's latest training, doctrinal, and procurement efforts across the arms and services of its military forces. Organized on a service-by-service basis, this assessment provides new insights into the drivers behind the size, posture, and arming of the Chinese military. Though China's military intentions have long been shrouded in a veil of secrecy, the chapters herein draw vital information from a diverse assortment of Chinese and American sources to illuminate these hidden contours, offering perspectives and conclusions with far-reaching implications for policy makers and defense leaders in the United States and worldwide.

[1]  Eswar S. Prasad,et al.  China's Growth and Integration into the World Economy: Prospects and Challenges , 2004 .

[2]  A. Krarup-Nielsen,et al.  The dragon awakes , 1928 .

[3]  John B Hattendorf.  The Evolution of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Strategy, 1977–1986 , 2000 .

[4]  Dennis J. Blasko.  Chinese Army Modernization: An Overview , 2005 .

[5]  Amy F. Woolf.  Conventional Warheads for Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues for Congress , 2006 .

[6]  David Baker,et al.  Jane's aircraft upgrades , 1999 .

[7]  Paul H. B. Godwin,et al.  From Continent to Periphery: PLA Doctrine, Strategy and Capabilities Towards 2000 , 1996, The China Quarterly.

[8]  Christopher Drew,et al.  Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage , 1998 .

[9]  Kenneth W Allen.  PLA Air Force mobileoffensive operations , 2004 .

[10]  David T. Orletsky,et al.  Posing Problems without Catching up: China's Rise and Challenges for U.S. Security Policy , 2001 .

[11]  William A Owens.  The American Revolution in Military Affairs , 1996 .

[12]  John B Hattendorf.  The Evolution of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Strategy , 2004 .

[13]  David Zweig,et al.  China's Global Hunt for Energy , 2005 .

[14]  Keith Crane,et al.  A New Direction for China's Defense Industry , 2005 .

[15]  Nan Li.  Reconceptualizing the PLA Navy in post - Mao China : functions, warfare, arms, and organization , 2002 .

[16]  Yao Yunzhu,et al.  The Evolution of Military Doctrine of the Chinese PLA from 1985 to 1995 , 1995 .

[17]  Bernard D. Cole,et al.  The Great Wall at Sea: China's Navy Enters the Twenty-First Century , 2001 .

[18]  Gabe Collins.  China seeks oil security with new tanker fleet , 2006 .

[19]  Ronald O'Rourke,et al.  China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities , 2006 .

[20]  Samuel B. Griffith.  The Chinese People's Liberation Army , 1968 .

[21]  Howard O. DeVore.  China's aerospace and defence industry , 2000 .

[22]  Bruce G. Blair,et al.  Strategic command and control , 1985 .

[23]  Andrew Scobell,et al.  Chinese army building in the era of Jiang Zemin , 2004 .

[24]  Jonathan D. Pollack,et al.  China's Air Force Enters the 21st Century , 1995 .

[25]  Duogen Jilei.  China's National Defense, , 1983 .

[26]  Christopher Bolkcom,et al.  China's Foreign Conventional Arms Acquisitions: Background and Analysis , 2001 .

[27]  David M. Finkelstein,et al.  China's leadership in the 21st century : the rise of the fourth generation , 2003 .

[28]  I. McNish,et al.  China's Global Activism: Strategy, Drivers, and Tools , 2007 .

[29]  William A. Owens.  JROC: Harnessing the Revolution in Military Affairs , 1994 .

[30]  Dennis J. Blasko.  The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century , 2006 .

[31]  James Mulvenon.  Rogue Warriors? A Puzzled Look at the Chinese ASAT Test , 2007 .

[32]  Gregory B. Owens.  Chinese tactical nuclear weapons , 1996 .

[33]  Diao Guo-xiu.  Determination and Evaluation of Effective Range for Terminal Guidance Ballistic Missile Attacking Aircraft Carrier , 2006 .

[34]  Alastair Iain Johnston,et al.  China's New "Old Thinking": The Concept of Limited Deterrence , 1995 .