China's Military: The PLA in 1992/1993 (review)

Reviews 279 dicine. While these shortcomings are minor and seem not to mar the quality of the translations, they emphasize the difficulties ofbeing expert in all the various specialties encompassed by their project. This difficulty emphasizes all the more the need for care in translations, consultation ofmultiple sources, and understanding the historical and conceptual context in which each term is employed. William C. Summers Yale University School of Medicine Richard H. Yang, Peter Kien-yu, and Andrew N. D. Yang, editors. China's Military: The PLA in 1992/1993. Taipei, Taiwan: Chinese Council ofAdvanced Policy Studies; Boulder, Colorado: distributed by Westview Press, 1993. vi, 204 pp. Paperback $49.85. This is the fourth in a continuing series ofextremely useful publications by the Chinese Council for Advanced Policy Studies (CAPS—formerly the Sun Yat-sen Center for Policy Studies) focused on die role of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing's domestic affairs and foreign policies. The essays in this and previous volumes were prepared byleading specialists from Europe, the United States, Asia, Israel, and Australia for an annual conference cohosted now by CAPS and London's International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "The PLA and the New World Order" formed die core theme around which die 1992 conference and the eleven chapters for this edition were organized. The broad issues involved in China's reaction to the "new world order" are tackled by June Dreyer, Robert Sutter, Richard Yang, Gerald Segal, and Harry Gelber. These essays reflect the widespread concern that China is not necessarily a responsible and constructive member of the international community. The collapse ofthe USSR and die evident Cold War victory ofthe West led by die United States left Beijing with die perception that its Marxist-Leninist regime had become die post-Cold War target ofan emerging American-dominated unipolar world. Beijing's reluctant commitment to the NPT and MTCR regimes left most authors with die suspicion that die PRC will continue to transfer nuclear and missile tech-© 1995 by University nologies and conventional arms to unsavoryregimes unconcerned witii regional ofHawai'i Pressstability. There is also agreement among the authors that while the collapse ofthe USSR provides China with greater short-term military security, it has raised concerns about new uncertainties in the region, including Central Asia. Thus, appre- 280 China Review International: Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 1995 hension about China's future course is compounded by Beijing's uncertainty about its future security environment and deep suspicion ofthe West's intentions. Sutter, however, is more confident tiian the other authors that the pragmatism originating in China's growing post-Cultural Revolution interdependence widi die international system will continue to dominate Beijing's foreign-policy choices. The essays by Harlan Jencks and Taeho Kim focus on the implications of China's military modernization programs for the post-Cold War security environment of the Asia-Pacific region, with Tai-ming Cheung providing a careful and detailed analysis of die growing arms and military technology linkage with Russia. Each ofthe audiors agrees that the PRCs military capabilities, while growing only slowly, are a source ofwidespread concern in the region. Cheung observes that, despite die financial straits ofthe defense industries, there will be limitations on arms and technology transfers from Russia to China stemming from Moscow 's long-term strategic interests and Beijing's desire not to become dependent on a single source and its preference for technology and production capabilities rather than end-use items. Chong-pin Lin's essay details die recent modernization of Taiwan's armed forces with the assistance of transfers from the U.S. and odier countries. The purpose of the chapter is to analyze the possible roles of the PLA in the reunification of Taiwan with the PRC. While Lin, on balance, sees the PLA as currently more predisposed toward coercion, and speculates on die various ways in which force could be applied, he analyzes the constraints on China's use of force and the potential for a more constructive role for the PLA in the long term. Ellis Joffe and David Shambaugh, while disagreeing on major points, provide valuable perspectives on the potential roles of the PLA in the...