CHINA'S MILITARY.   Term Paper ID:29707 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Historic role of military as a major force in China's politics and economy. China's evolving defense policy shift between national defense and defense of its borders. Restructuring in the relationship between China's military and its emerging market economy. Relationship of political and military branches. Multiple roles of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Paper Introduction: Military and Civilian Authority in China Historically, China’s military has always been a major force in the country’s politics and economy (Starr, 2001, p. 90). However, as the country has developed over the last century, the military’s role, though no less significant, has evolved. In particular, China’s defense policy has shifted from national defense through the defense of its interior to national defense through a defense of its borders. This evolving defense policy combined with China’s economic reform policies of the late 20th century has necessarily caused an evolution in the relationship between China’s controlling political authority and its military branch, as well as a restructuring in the relationship between China’s military and its emerging market economy. In the day Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. This upgrade reflectsa political shift from the doctrine of relying on guerrilla warfare in theinterior to a doctrine that seeks to actively defend the country's borders(Lai, 1998, p. In 1983, in an attempt to encouragethe military to supply and supplement its own budget, Xiaoping allowed themilitary to engage in economic enterprises. Starr also points out that the economic ventures of the PLA tiedChina's military strength to the strength of China's emerging marketeconomy (2 1, p. Thus, throughout itshistory, the ruling party of China has been intimately connected with itsmilitary. Fewsmithargues that the two branches are so interconnected as to essentiallyoperate as a single organization (2 2, p. China learned during these invasions that, even though the Red Armywas too weak to turn back the invaders, the country's people had a greatcapacity for enduring the initial suffering from the invasions (Lai, 1998,p. "Soldiers of fortune: The rise and fall ofthe Chinese military-business complex, 1978-1998," Contemporary SoutheastAsia (24: 1), pp. 92). While these activities didincrease the military budget, by 199 , they also produced widespreadcorruption that Fewsmith argues negatively affected military morale andforced the government to begin curtailing these economic ventures (2 2, p.182). Military and Civilian Authority in China Historically, China's military has always been a major force in thecountry's politics and economy (Starr, 2 1, p. (Apr 2 2). Thus, David Lai argues that defense policy under Maoemphasized the primary role of politics and focused on the people as acommunal, and if necessary, guerilla, force against invasion (1998, p.974). 9 ). 974).Furthermore, through the founding of the People's Republic of China in1949, the country's national defense policy had advocated a war doctrinethat was born from the country's experiences during its invasion by firstthe Mongols and then the Manchus (Starr, 2 1, p. The Chinese people would then defeat the foreign invaders throughguerrilla warfare in the interior of the country (Lai, 1998, p. The army, living as it did among the people, was simultaneously amilitary branch that defended the country and a domestic constituency thatincreasingly became involved in China's political and economic life. 9 ). 18). 182). This shift in military doctrine reflects thepolitical shift in China from an inward-looking country to a nation thatseeks to consider its role on the world stage. Mao Zedong approved of the early defend-the-interior war doctrinebecause it supported his political and social policy of self-reliance.China, under Mao, was primarily concerned with controlling activity withinits own borders. The PLAhas always been much more than a military force in China; it has served arange of domestic, political, social, and economic functions. There has always been tension between the economic and militaryactivities of the army, particularly as these military activities haveincluded financial and political corruption (Lai, 1998, p. This evolving defensepolicy combined with China's economic reform policies of the late 2 thcentury has necessarily caused an evolution in the relationship betweenChina's controlling political authority and its military branch, as well asa restructuring in the relationship between China's military and itsemerging market economy. 182). Practically all of theCommunist Party members with the authority to oversee the militaryCommission are themselves military officers (Starr, 2 1, p. 974). Thus,by July 1998, China's then-Premier Jiang Zemin finally ordered the militaryto get out of its business enterprises (Fewsmith, 2 2, p. However, as thecountry has developed over the last century, the military's role, though noless significant, has evolved. 974). Starr, J. During DengXiaoping's political and economic restructuring in the 198 s, he envisionedthat the Communist Party apparatus would oversee military policy and theCommission would carry it out. 974). 96). He concluded in his review of the military apparatus that themilitary budget was too large in relation to the budget he would need forhis economic reforms and that much of the military budget was wasteful(Fewsmith, 2 2, p. As such, conflicts betweenhigh-level civilian and military leaders are "intraparty" conflicts and PLAintervention in domestic politics results not from party-military conflictbut from "intraparty" debate and decisions (Fewsmith, 2 2, p. Hill & Wang: New York. References Fewsmith, J. This symbiotic relationship between China's political and militarybranches remains into the 21st century, even as the war doctrine haschanged. Understanding China. 182). Thus, he called on the military to beresponsible for more of its own needs, not unlike the old tradition of"tuntian," where the army was required to derive its own sustenance fromthe region in which it was stationed. 974). 974-975. Lai, D. Itis one of the largest armies in the world and, since Deng Xiaoping'sascension to supremacy in China, the PLA has upgraded its equipment,infrastructure and technology (Starr, 2 1, p. AsLai points out, historically, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has alwaysserved multiple roles in China (1998, p. In addition, the time spent by the military onthese ventures detracted from time spent on military preparedness. 9 ). 182). In particular, China's defense policy hasshifted from national defense through the defense of its interior tonational defense through a defense of its borders. However, the tradition ofincluding the Chinese military into the country's political and economiclife has not been without problems. 974).These lessons formed the foundation of the relationship between China'spolitical and military arms, which has long been one that includes themilitary very closely in China's domestic policies. 182-185. "China's security: The new roles of themilitary," The American Political Science Review (92: 4), pp. In the days of the Chinese dynasties, the government provided food andshelter for its military through a tradition of "tuntian," or militaryhabituation, in which the imperial army obtained most of its sustenance byfarming the area in which it was stationed (Lai, 1998, p. (2 1). Even today,the PLA remains engaged in some business enterprises, the profits fromwhich it uses to supplement the standard of living for its personnel(Fewsmith, 2 2, p. TheCentral Military Commission is the civilian branch of government thatnominally controls China's military (Starr, 2 1, p. 41). (Dec 1998). The true relationship, however, has alwaysbeen, and still remains, much closer than that. Deng Xiaoping's reform of China's military establishment was thefourth, and last in priority, of his "four modernizations" (Starr, 2 1, p.9 ). The PLA is much stronger today than it was during earlier times. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.