China’s Military Transformation by You Ji (review)

China’s military is a mystery to many, but not to the author of this book, You Ji. You Ji’s earlier book The Armed Forces of China was the primer for all who wanted to understand the Chinese military. With this new book, China’s Military Transformation, the author continues his primacy as the best source for understanding the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)—that is, the Chinese military—and its role within China. You Ji, professor of international relations at Macau University, not only gives a detailed portrayal of China’s military transformation but also explains that the transformation may be driving a wedge between the Chinese Communist Party and the military. The book, which is full of information, examples, and analysis, ends with an assessment that while transformation may never be complete, it has certainly changed the PLA and ultimately China.

The author divides the book into three parts. The first part of the book considers the civilian control over the military in a post-Deng era where the political leaders have little military experience or inroads into the various armed forces networks. In this dual relationship, the PLA backs the Party leadership in exchange for a civilian commitment to the PLA’s special role in China and to the PLA’s modernization. The second part of the book analyzes the PLA’s internal functions, specifically national security and the People’s Armed Police. The third part of the book looks at the military aspects of the transformation; namely, the PLA has rebuilt itself into a modern fighting force to meet the global revolution in military affairs. Notably, this transformation began with a defense strategy that may be needed to fight a limited informationalized regional war.

Civilian control over the military is analyzed in the first two chapters. The basic argument is that, despite effective civilian control of the military, the widening differences in interests between the Party and the military have complicated their close relationship. Some of the differences are a result of changes in PLA rank-and-file membership, which now boasts recruits who are more urban, more computer literate, more likely to be college educated, and more motivated to join because the PLA is an employer that pays well in a tight job market. Moreover, dropping ideology as the foundation of foreign and defense policies allows the PLA to construct a more focused mission as the guardian of national interests. According to the author, current elites in the Party and in the military realize that institutionalized civilian–military relations can best be attained with a proper balance between effective Party control and suitable military autonomy.

PLA politics under former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, well known for their lack of military experience, confronted these leaders—and later Xi Jinping—with the huge challenge of winning military loyalty. At the core of the challenge was the reality that the strongman model of civilian supremacy over the military was no longer viable. Institutionalizing civil–military interplay was key. Institutionalization is a rule-based control mechanism and a process whereby the organization acquires value and stability. The author argues that through this institutionalization process Jiang and Hu were able to determine the parameters of PLA involvement in domestic politics as well as assume leadership over the PLA itself. In return, Jiang and Hu were stalwart supporters of PLA professionalism and meritocracy.

The second part of the book focuses on the PLA’s internal functions, namely the PLA’s role in national security and the rise of the People’s Armed Police. The PLA is an integral part of Chinese foreign policy making. The author points out that it can be difficult to demarcate where normal diplomacy ends and where military approaches to national security begin. Often confusing China watchers, the PLA’s role is frequently behind the scenes. Nonetheless, the PLA accepts civilian leadership on foreign affairs believing domestic stability underlies foreign affairs and a benign external environment—or...