Recent Publications

The PLA at Home and Abroad: Assessing the Operational Capabilities of China’s Military
June 1, 2010 — Authors: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai, Dr Andrew Scobell 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... MORE

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
December 31, 2009 — Author: Mr Daniel Alderman Participants considered the PLA’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party; trends in the PLA’s ongoing reforms to informationalize, mechanize, and adapt to China’s evolving defense needs; and the PLA’s role in tackling internal security challenges. PLA operations abroad were discussed, with participants assessing... MORE

Beyond the Strait: PLA Missions other than Taiwan
March 1, 2009 — Author: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr David Lai, Dr Andrew Scobell SSI and NBR conducted a book launch event for this book. Audio is available on the NBR site.While preventing independence likely remains the central aim of the PLA vis-a-vis Taiwan, Chinese foreign policy objectives worldwide are rapidly growing and diversifying. This volume analyzes the... MORE

PLA Missions Beyond Taiwan
November 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Marc Miller The interplay between China’s armed forces and its complex foreign policy and international security environment was examined in order to understand the requirements of several newly emerging PLA missions, and to consider how these specific interactions affect policy towards Taiwan and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Three... MORE

The “People” in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China’s Military
August 1, 2008 — Authors: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr Andrew Scobell, Mr Travis Tanner This volume represents the latest in the series published by the Strategic Studies Institute and describes the advances and reforms the PLA has made in its recruitment, officer and NCO training and education, and mobilization. As part of its larger reform effort to modernize and... MORE

Right Sizing the People’s Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China’s Military
August 1, 2007 — Author: Mr Roy Kamphausen, Dr Andrew Scobell This volume addresses how the leadership of China and the PLA view what size of PLA best meets China’s requirements. Among other things, this analytical process makes important new contributions on the question of PLA transparency, long an issue among PLA watchers. A great deal of emphasis has been put... MORE

China’s Nuclear Forces: Operations, Training, Doctrine, Command, Control and Campaign Planning
May 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Larry M Wortzel Recent books and journal articles published in China provide new insights into nuclear doctrine, operations, training, and the employment of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) strategic rocket forces. The major insights come from exploiting sections of a doctrinal text published for PLA institutions of higher military... MORE

Exploring the “Right Size” for China’s Military: PLA Missions, Functions, and Organizations
February 1, 2007 — Authors: Mr Justin B Liang, Dr Sarah K Snyder On October 6, 2006, more than 60 leading experts on China's People’s Liberation Army (PLA) convened at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, for a two-day discussion of the drivers of PLA force modernization. The 2006 PLA Conference was co-sponsored by National Bureau of Asian Research and the Strategic... MORE

Shaping China’s Security Environment: The Role of the People’s Liberation Army
October 1, 2006 — Authors: Dr Andrew Scobell, Dr Larry M Wortzel This volume addresses the role of the Chinese military in shaping its country’s security environment. The PLA itself is shaped and molded by both domestic and foreign influences. In the first decade of the 21st century, the PLA is not a central actor in China’s foreign policy the way it was just a few... MORE

The PLA Shapes the Future Security Environment
October 15, 2005 — Author: Mr Andy Gudgel Over 50 experts on China and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) gathered at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, from September 23-25, to attend the 2005 PLA Conference, "The PLA Shapes the Future Security Environment," cosponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the U.S. Army War College. The colloquium considered how the... MORE

Chinese Crisis Management
November 5, 2004 — Author: Mr Andy Gudgel Over 50 experts on China and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) gathered at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, from October 1-3, to attend the 2004 Chinese Crisis Management Conference. Cosponsored by the Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, and the U.S. Army War College, the conference participants... MORE

Civil-Military Change in China: Elites, Institutes, and Ideas After the 16th Party Congress
September 1, 2004 — Authors: Dr Andrew Scobell, Dr Larry M Wortzel In November 2002, the Chinese Communist Party held its 16th Congress and formally initiated a sweeping turnover of senior leaders in both the Party and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The meeting heralded not merely a new set of personalities in positions of political and military power, but also... MORE