A Study of Chinese PLA Strategic Trend Based on the Development of Its Military Readiness

• Main Authors: Hsu Hsiang Chun, 許薌君
• Other Authors: Peter Jangruey Tzeng
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66684040349853679580

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 中國大陸研究所碩士在職專班 === 92 === The Communest Chinese have always believed in “power from the barrel of a gun”. This has lead to the building of a large military force to enable them to rule the Country with an iron fist and also to protect their assets from foreign intruders. Throughout history, three elements make up the components for waging war. People, weapons and strategy and tactics. It is very clear that the effectiveness of the weapons dictate the military strategy used and that as the equipment is updated, the strategy evolves with the capabilities of the weapons in the arsenal .Looking at this from another perspective. As the quality of the weapons improve, strategy will determine the combination and implementation of the tactics used. Thus, weapons development and the military strategy employed are both mutually affecting and restricting. This is clearly reflected in the evolution of weapons and strategy of the PLA over the past ten years. After the 1991Gulf war, due to improved economics in China and greater global influence, the PLA entered a period of rapid modernization. Instead of modernizing the hardware, the PLA concentrated on expanding their electronic and information technology. They feel that this is the quickest way to become the regional leader and is the stepping-stone to the ranks of global super power. This thesis uses the mutually affecting and restricting relationship between weapons development and military strategy as a central theme and investigates the evolution of PLA weaponry and strategy through the years. Also ,by studying the current military hardware development, to discuss and propose likely directions in which PLA strategy will follow in the Twenty-first century. It is the finding of this study that China is striving to become a regional super power by rapidly modernizing and expanding her military electronic and information capabilities .This together with her military hardware is the means to handle all contradictions by the use of force. China is of the mind that the root to the Taiwan problem lies with the United States of America. Before China renounces the use of force in resolving the cross strait issues, the ability to simultaneously deal with both the United States and Taiwan will be central to China’s military strategy and planning. This needs to be taken into serious consideration when Taiwan plans her defense policies for the future.