China's Military Reforms and Modernization: Implications for U.S. - People's Liberation Army's Long-Term Defense Planning, PLA Weapons Development, and Acquisition Programs, President Xi's Vision

This is an important report compilation of testimony at a 2018 hearing which provided insight into how China's ongoing military reform efforts and President Xi's vision for achieving the "China Dream" are shaping the People's Liberation Army's long-term defense planning, weapons development, and acquisition programs. The hearing specifically assessed the political and security drivers shaping China's military modernization efforts; the reformed Central Military Commission's role in coordinating modernization priorities with the military services; the development of forces capable of conducting joint operations; and implications for the United States.

Panel I: National-Level Military Modernization Priorities and Force Enablers * 1. Cortez Cooper, Senior International/Defense Researcher, RAND Corporation * 2. John Costello, Cybersecurity Policy Fellow, New America Foundation * 3. Kevin McCauley, Independent Analyst * Panel II: Service-Level Military Modernization Priorities * 4. Ben Lowsen, China Advisor, U.S. Air Force * 5. James Holmes, Ph.D., J.C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy, U.S. Naval War College * 6. Brendan Mulvaney, Ph.D., Director, China Aerospace Studies Institute * 7. Michael S. Chase, Ph.D., Senior Political Scientist, RAND Corporation * Panel III: PLA Modernization and Implications for the United States and Beyond * 8. Tate Nurkin, Executive Director, Strategic Assessments, Jane's by IHS Markit * 9. Jacqueline N. Deal, Ph.D., President and CEO, Long Term Strategy Group * 10. Kathleen Hicks, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and Director of the International Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Chinese Communist Party believes that a strong military is essential to maintaining its hold on power in an increasingly competitive geostrategic environment. Since becoming General Secretary of the CCP, Xi Jinping has conveyed his vision for achieving the "China Dream" through the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." President Xi as chairman of the Central Military Commission, China's top military decision-making body, has emphasized that a strong military is necessary to reach this goal. At the CCP's recent 19th Party Congress, President Xi revised the milestones set out for the military's development strategy. He announced an interim goal for the PLA to achieve modernization by 2035 and modified the long-term objective to become a world-class military by 2049. China's efforts to reach its military development goals will depend on the PLA's ability to implement its most sweeping reform and reorganization since the 1950s, which began in 2016 and will last through 2020. The reform effort centralizes President Xi's control over the military and seeks to improve the PLA's capability to fight regional conflicts at greater distances from China. Therefore, to better understand the challenges the U.S. and its allies and partners may face in the Indo-Pacific concerning Chinese military modernization, this hearing will examine Beijing's national-level modernization priorities, drivers behind the modernization, force enablers, and how the PLA is coordinating these priorities from the national level down among the military services.

At the CCP's recent 19th Party Congress, President Xi revised the milestones set out for the military's development strategy. He announced an interim goal for the PLA to achieve modernization by 2035 and modified the long-term objective to become a world-class military by 2049. China's efforts to reach its military development goals will depend on the PLA's ability to implement its most sweeping reform and reorganization since the 1950s, which began in 2016 and will last through 2020.