Fueled by double-digit growth in spending in recent years, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone a staggering transformation from an anachronistic, unwieldy vestige of the Mao era to a more mobile and high-tech military force. The PLA's capabilities have increased in tandem with China's rising power and expanding national interests, and have seen the force involved in an increasing number and variety of missions at home and abroad, in addition to its traditional focus on contingencies in the Taiwan Strait. Such missions have included disaster and humanitarian relief, United Nations peacekeeping operations, counterterrorism, cyber security and anti-piracy, among others.These new or enhanced PLA missions suggest many important questions:  How do these expansive new missions affect the evolution of the PLA's objectives and capabilities? Are they accompanied by new PLA doctrines for their use? How will they affect the security environment of the Asia Pacific and beyond?

Beyond the Strait: PLA Missions Other Than Taiwan

Politics & Social Sciences

David Lai

Roy Kamphausen

Andrew Scobell

Politics & Government

Strategic Studies Institute

The PLA at Home and Abroad: Assessing the Operational Capabilities of China's Military

<p>"The chapters presented in this volume have demonstrated first, Chinese and PLA leaders have a strong sense of mission and concern for China's security and well-being. Second, the PLA is committed to the transformation in military affairs with Chinese characteristics. Third, the PLA is eager to learn from the U.S. military to expand and improve its operational capabilities. Finally, the PLA has made progress in its transformation and operational capabilities. For a long time, American leaders have been surprised with the PLA's advances. This volume (and many of the previous volumes from past PLA conferences) show that these advances did not come out of the blue. Although much of the learning and many of the improvements are still far from what is desired (from Chinese expectations and American critiques), and some of the learning has even created contradictions for the PLA, these persistent and diligent learning practices will eventually bring the PLA to a higher level of proficiency in its capabilities. The emergence of a much more sophisticated PLA in the coming years should not be a surprise."--P. 37-38.</p>

Strategic Studies Institute/U.S. Army War College Press

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