Civil-military Relations in Today's China: Swimming in a New Sea

This work provides an in-depth and up-to-date examination of civil-military relations in China. It reflects the significant changes taking place in Chinese society and their impact on the civil-military dynamic, with particular attention to how the military will fit in with the new class of entrepreneurs. Rather than focusing exclusively on elite Party-Army relations, the book examines civil-military relations from various vantage points: at "the center" and in the provinces; between civilian leaders and military leaders; from a strictly military perspective and from a civilian perspective; and from the angle of specific issue areas. Chapters explore issues, such as the impact of AIDS, the defense budget, the emerging dynamic between the military and China's new leadership, resettling demobilized troops back into civilian life, and the role of the militia, reserve units, and other civilian groups. The contributors are highly respected specialists in China studies, including political scientists, historians, PLA specialists, and sociologists. They present a vibrant portrait of the new civil-military dynamic in the PRC within the complex social changes that China is exploring today.

Inhalt

Introduction; 1. Social Trends in China: Implications for the People's Liberation Army, Tony Saich; 2. The Impact of Social Changes on the PLA: A Chinese Military Perspective, Xiaobing Li; 3. The New Military Elite: Generational Profile and Contradictory Trends, Cheng Li; 4. The Fourth-Generation Leaders and the New Military Elite, Yu Bin; 5. The PLA and the Provinces: Military District and Local Issues, Zhiyue Bo; 6. The Political Implications of PLA Professionalism, Lyman Miller; 7. Unravelling the Myths about Political Commissars, You Ji; 8. Searching for a Twenty-First Century Officer Corps, Thomas J. Bickford; 9. Educating the Officer Corps: The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Its Interactions with Civilian Academic Institutions, Kristen Gunness; 10. China's Defense Budget: Is There Impending Friction Between Defense and Civilian Needs? Joseph Fewsmith; 11. The PLA in the New Economy: Plus Ca Change, Plus Ca Meme Chose, James Mulvenon; 12. Conscription: From the Masses, Sijin Cheng; 13. Demobilization and Resettlement: The Challenge of Downsizing the People's Liberation Army, Maryanne Kivlehan-Wise; 14. People's War in the Twenty-First Century: The Militia and the Reserves, Dennis J. Blasko.