Right Sizing the People's Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China's Military - Taiwan, Xinjiang, Uighurs, Tibet, Senkaku, Chinese Combat Aircraft, PLA Air Force, Naval Force, Nuclear

Right-Sizing the People's Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China's Military is the ninth volume in this series published by the Strategic Studies Institute and represents the collective scholarly efforts of those who contributed to a 2006 conference. The book 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.

It is important when we look at the structure and strategy for growth within the Chinese military that we not restrict ourselves to the lens of our Western focus. Rather, we need to see the world as China sees it. We need to see a world in which the "Taiwan issue" as well as that of North Korea and others are not viewed as short-term concerns, but fit into how China sees itself in a long-term leadership role in the region and in the world.
This latest volume makes an important contribution to this effort. The authors — and the 65 conference participants from academia, think tanks, the U.S. Government, and overseas whose observations were of great help — have each done a terrific job and are to be thanked for their efforts. Only through sustained, systematic efforts such as this can we begin to understand how China's military modernization might affect the Asia-Pacific security situation in the years to come.
Framing the Issue * Framing the Problem: China's Threat Environment and International Obligations * China's National Military Strategy: An Overview of the "Military Strategic Guidelines" * PLA Strategic Systems * "Minding the Gap": Assessing the Trajectory of the PLA's Second Artillery * PLA Command, Control, and Targeting Architectures: Theory, Doctrine, and Warfighting Applications * PLA Ground Force * "Preserving the State": Modernizing and Task-Organizing a "Hybrid" Ground Force * PLA Ground Force Modernization and Mission Diversification: Underway in All Military Regions * PLA Air Force * Future Force Structure of the Chinese Air Force * Right-Sizing the PLA Air Force: New Operational Concepts Define a Smaller, More Capable Force * The PLA Navy * The Strategic and Operational Context Driving PLA Navy Building * Right-Sizing the Navy: How Much Naval Force Will Beijing Deploy? * The Wrap Up * The "Right Size" for China's Military: To What Ends?

Some topics and subjects covered include: Xinjiang, Uighurs, Taiwan, Tibet, Chinese Combat Aircraft, Senkaku.

In addition, this unique collection of American military documents provides a special view of recent Chinese military and policy developments. Contents: China Shaping the Operational Environment - A Disciple on the Path of Deception and Influence * The "People" in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China's 80-Year-Old Military * China's Maritime Quest * The PLA At Home and Abroad: Assessing The Operational Capabilities of China's Military * Arms Sales To Taiwan: Enjoy The Business While It Lasts * China's Role In The Stabilization Of Afghanistan * The Coming of Chinese Hawks * Turkey and China: Unlikely Strategic Partners. This ebook also includes the annual U.S. intelligence community worldwide threat assessment in Congressional testimony by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.