In recent years there have been reports of actions purportedly taken by People's Liberation A... more In recent years there have been reports of actions purportedly taken by People's Liberation Army (PLA) units without civilian authorization, and of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) civilian leaders seeking to curry favor with the military-suggesting that a nationalistic and increasingly influential PLA is driving more assertive Chinese policies on a range of military and sovereignty issues. To many experienced PLA watchers however, the PLA remains a "party-army" that is responsive to orders from the CCP.PLA Influence on China's National Security Policymaking seeks to assess the "real" relationship between the PLA and its civilian masters by moving beyond media and pundit speculation to mount an in-depth examination and explanation of the PLA's role in national security policy-making. After examining the structural factors that shape PLA interactions with the Party-State, the book uses case studies to explore the PLA's role in foreign policy crises. It then assesses the PLA's role in China's territorial disputes and in military interactions with civilian government and business, exploring the military's role in China's civil-military integration development strategy. The evidence reveals that today's PLA does appear to have more influence on purely military issues than in the past-but much less influence on political issues-and to be more actively engaged in policy debates on mixed civil-military issues where military equities are at stake.
Details about sales to North Korea could prove valuable in containing Pyongyang's nuclear amb... more Details about sales to North Korea could prove valuable in containing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions
... and imperial-ism.20 Appeals to anti-Japanese sentiment still pay domestic political divi-dend... more ... and imperial-ism.20 Appeals to anti-Japanese sentiment still pay domestic political divi-dends ... sion to exploit these popular feelings.21 The CCP's economic claims to legitimacy lie in ... Economicreforms have had differential impacts in rural and urban areas, and in coastal and ...
... drafts. Isaac Kardon also provided valuable research assistance. Robert S. Ross is Professor ... more ... drafts. Isaac Kardon also provided valuable research assistance. Robert S. Ross is Professor of Political Science at Boston College and Associate at the John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Research at Harvard University. ...
... This would imply greater emphasis on air bases and air defense assets along China's land... more ... This would imply greater emphasis on air bases and air defense assets along China's land andmaritime borders and a relative neglect of ... This scenario would see decreased emphasis on long-range bombers and aerial refueling capabilities, including tanker acquisition. ...
In Taiwan's 2008 presidential election, both candidates advocated signing a peace agreement w... more In Taiwan's 2008 presidential election, both candidates advocated signing a peace agreement with China, and Chinese leaders have also expressed interest in reaching such an agreement. Although substantial obstacles remain in the way of a cross-strait peace agreement, this increased interest on both sides of the Taiwan Strait suggests that a closer examination of an agreement's possible dimensions and consequences is warranted. This analysis considers what an agreement might look like, whether and how it might be effective in reducing the possibility of cross-strait military conflict, the relevant barriers to an agreement, and whether an agreement—if reached—would be likely to endure.
In recent years there have been reports of actions purportedly taken by People's Liberation A... more In recent years there have been reports of actions purportedly taken by People's Liberation Army (PLA) units without civilian authorization, and of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) civilian leaders seeking to curry favor with the military-suggesting that a nationalistic and increasingly influential PLA is driving more assertive Chinese policies on a range of military and sovereignty issues. To many experienced PLA watchers however, the PLA remains a "party-army" that is responsive to orders from the CCP.PLA Influence on China's National Security Policymaking seeks to assess the "real" relationship between the PLA and its civilian masters by moving beyond media and pundit speculation to mount an in-depth examination and explanation of the PLA's role in national security policy-making. After examining the structural factors that shape PLA interactions with the Party-State, the book uses case studies to explore the PLA's role in foreign policy crises. It then assesses the PLA's role in China's territorial disputes and in military interactions with civilian government and business, exploring the military's role in China's civil-military integration development strategy. The evidence reveals that today's PLA does appear to have more influence on purely military issues than in the past-but much less influence on political issues-and to be more actively engaged in policy debates on mixed civil-military issues where military equities are at stake.
Details about sales to North Korea could prove valuable in containing Pyongyang's nuclear amb... more Details about sales to North Korea could prove valuable in containing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions
... and imperial-ism.20 Appeals to anti-Japanese sentiment still pay domestic political divi-dend... more ... and imperial-ism.20 Appeals to anti-Japanese sentiment still pay domestic political divi-dends ... sion to exploit these popular feelings.21 The CCP's economic claims to legitimacy lie in ... Economicreforms have had differential impacts in rural and urban areas, and in coastal and ...
... drafts. Isaac Kardon also provided valuable research assistance. Robert S. Ross is Professor ... more ... drafts. Isaac Kardon also provided valuable research assistance. Robert S. Ross is Professor of Political Science at Boston College and Associate at the John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Research at Harvard University. ...
... This would imply greater emphasis on air bases and air defense assets along China's land... more ... This would imply greater emphasis on air bases and air defense assets along China's land andmaritime borders and a relative neglect of ... This scenario would see decreased emphasis on long-range bombers and aerial refueling capabilities, including tanker acquisition. ...
In Taiwan's 2008 presidential election, both candidates advocated signing a peace agreement w... more In Taiwan's 2008 presidential election, both candidates advocated signing a peace agreement with China, and Chinese leaders have also expressed interest in reaching such an agreement. Although substantial obstacles remain in the way of a cross-strait peace agreement, this increased interest on both sides of the Taiwan Strait suggests that a closer examination of an agreement's possible dimensions and consequences is warranted. This analysis considers what an agreement might look like, whether and how it might be effective in reducing the possibility of cross-strait military conflict, the relevant barriers to an agreement, and whether an agreement—if reached—would be likely to endure.
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Papers by Phillip Saunders