Chinese Military Modernization: Force Development and Strategic Capabilities

by Anthony H. Cordesman

Changing political relationships and a substantial increase in resources have prompted the Chinese leadership to accelerate the modernization of its armed forces. Observers, not least the United States, have wondered what objectives China's military buildup is meant to serve. The Chinese government's extreme secrecy about military budgets, force training, and weapon system procurement leaves considerable room for speculation. Perhaps naturally, China is believed to be preparing capacities for a possible conflict with Taiwan, which might or might not involve the United States. But other developments, like the modernization of strategic nuclear weapons and the acquisition of naval surface combatants, have raised the attention of analysts as to what role the Chinese armed forces will play in China's evolving security policy. This study provides an assessment of the current state of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). It addresses command structures, doctrine development, military spending, weapon system procurement, and the force structure of all four branches of the PLA. It does so by providing comparisons of current assessments of all aspects of PLA modernization and trend analyses that point out the developments in manpower, spending, and holdings of weapon systems, among others, over the past two decades. Thus, the volume seeks to lay a basis for a meaningful analysis of the role and trajectory of the Chinese military.

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2007