The Chinese Army After Mao

About this book

Ellis Joffe has drawn on a lifetime of experience as an analyst of Chinese military affairs in this authoritative assessment of a highly elusive subject: military modernization and the politics of civilian-military relations in the post-Mao period. He has sifted vast amounts of evidence primary and secondary to show that during the past few years the Chinese army has been transformed into a relatively modern and professional force that will be the basis for future growth of Chinas military power. The author begins by describing the development of the Peoples Liberation Army in the Maoist era and explains the reasons for its decline. He analyzes the political changes and the shifts in strategic outlook of Maos successors that have made possible a new policy of military modernization: a policy of raising the combat capability of the PLA through slow improvements of technologyincluding buying some material abroadand a thorough upgrading of the nontechnological components of military power. Joffe examines all aspects of the PLAs modernization focusing on the wide-ranging changes in doctrine weapons organization structure and modes of operation and concludes with an analysis of the PLAs political role and the state of civilmilitary relations. There is a particularly perspicacious chapter dissecting Dengs maneuvers to remove the military influence in politics that had burgeoned during and after the Cultural Revolution.