What distinguishes China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from other countries’ armies is the fact that the PLA was in existence, initially with a different name though, before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the legitimate government of China, as opposed to the Republic of China (ROC) government, or the Nationalist government, that retreated to Taiwan after losing the Civil War. As an armed wing of the Communist Party of China (CPC) since its inception in 1927, the PLA has undergone a considerable transformation from a “millet plus rifles” force to one that Beijing can count on as a powerful backing for its “wolf warrior” diplomacy. The meaning behind all this is that China’s military modernization efforts are paying off. Analyzing historical events in chronological order, this paper aims to find out how the wars involving or impacting China over the past seven decades, as well as specific international conflicts and China’s domestic politics in the same period of time, have contributed to the PLA’s modernization to date. The most recent round of military reform initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping serves as a case for analysis in depth so as to have a better understanding of the PLA’s modernization.
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The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis 34(3), p.411-431
