Chinese military modernisation : some implications of doctrinal change

Abstract

There are a number of reasons why an examination of the defence modernisation efforts of the People's Republic of China have been of particular interest to analysts since the late 1970's. This has had much to do with what could be termed the broader context of China's economic modernisation in conjunction with an important shift in the way Beijing has come to view its strategic environment. This interest has also resulted because of the potential that China has displayed in the past for rejecting hard-won gains in the face of domestic political turmoil. The capacity must be seen to exist therefore for real resistance to military reform that can not be traced to the obvious limitations imposed by the sheer size of the armed forces or the limitations of the defence budget. The focus of this study is the long term tension that has accompanied efforts to modernise the Chinese armed forces. It is contended that the last decade has witnessed fundamental change, the underlying themes of which have already made their impact and will continue to do so despite practical and political constraints.