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China Military Power: Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win
UNCLASSIFIED REPORT Printed in COLOR. Just Released 15 January 2019
In 2017, the Defense Intelligence Agency began to produce a series of unclassified Defense Intelligence overviews of major foreign military challenges we face. This volume provides details on China’s defense and military goals, strategy, plans, and intentions; the organization, structure, and capability of its military supporting those goals; and the enabling infrastructure and industrial base. This product and other reports in the series are intended to inform our public, our leaders, the national security community, and partner nations about the challenges we face in the 21st century.
Document
Historical Overview Military Doctrine and Strategy Perceptions of Modern Conflict
Core Elements of Command and Control Reform
Modernizing Joint Command and Control
Core Chinese Military Capabilities
Power Projection and Expeditionary Operations
Nuclear Forces and Weapons
Biological and Chemical Warfare
Space/Counterspace
Cyberspace
Denial and Deception
Logistics and Defense-Industrial Modernization
Underground Facilities
Missions Other Than War
Why buy a book you can download for free? We print this book so you don’t have to.
First you gotta find a good clean (legible) copy and make sure it’s the latest version (not always easy). Some documents found on the web are missing some pages or the image quality is so poor, they are difficult to read. We look over each document carefully and replace poor quality images by going back to the original source document. We proof each document to make sure it’s all there – including all changes. If you find a good copy, you could print it using a network printer you share with 100 other people (typically its either out of paper or toner). If it’s just a 10-page document, no problem, but if it’s 250-pages, you will need to punch 3 holes in all those pages and put it in a 3-ring binder. Takes at least an hour.
It’s much more cost-effective to just order the latest version from Amazon.com
This book includes original commentary which is copyright material. Note that government documents are in the public domain. We print these large documents as a service so you don’t have to. The books are compact, tightly-bound, full-size (8 ½ by 11 inches), with large text and glossy covers. 4th Watch Publishing Co. is a HUBZONE SDVOSB.
In 2017, the Defense Intelligence Agency began to produce a series of unclassified Defense Intelligence overviews of major foreign military challenges we face. This volume provides details on China’s defense and military goals, strategy, plans, and intentions; the organization, structure, and capability of its military supporting those goals; and the enabling infrastructure and industrial base. This product and other reports in the series are intended to inform our public, our leaders, the national security community, and partner nations about the challenges we face in the 21st century.
Document
Historical Overview Military Doctrine and Strategy Perceptions of Modern Conflict
Core Elements of Command and Control Reform
Modernizing Joint Command and Control
Core Chinese Military Capabilities
Power Projection and Expeditionary Operations
Nuclear Forces and Weapons
Biological and Chemical Warfare
Space/Counterspace
Cyberspace
Denial and Deception
Logistics and Defense-Industrial Modernization
Underground Facilities
Missions Other Than War
Why buy a book you can download for free? We print this book so you don’t have to.
First you gotta find a good clean (legible) copy and make sure it’s the latest version (not always easy). Some documents found on the web are missing some pages or the image quality is so poor, they are difficult to read. We look over each document carefully and replace poor quality images by going back to the original source document. We proof each document to make sure it’s all there – including all changes. If you find a good copy, you could print it using a network printer you share with 100 other people (typically its either out of paper or toner). If it’s just a 10-page document, no problem, but if it’s 250-pages, you will need to punch 3 holes in all those pages and put it in a 3-ring binder. Takes at least an hour.
It’s much more cost-effective to just order the latest version from Amazon.com
This book includes original commentary which is copyright material. Note that government documents are in the public domain. We print these large documents as a service so you don’t have to. The books are compact, tightly-bound, full-size (8 ½ by 11 inches), with large text and glossy covers. 4th Watch Publishing Co. is a HUBZONE SDVOSB.
- GenresChinaNonfiction
133 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2019
About the author
Defense Intelligence Agency
56 books7 followersFrom their website: DIA is the nation’s premier all-source military intelligence organization.
It provides the nation’s most authoritative assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities. The agency’s four core competencies -- human intelligence, all-source analysis, counterintelligence and technical intelligence -- enable military operations while also informing policy-makers at the defense and national levels.
DIA’s mission is unique and no other agency matches its military expertise across such a broad range of intelligence disciplines.
It provides the nation’s most authoritative assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities. The agency’s four core competencies -- human intelligence, all-source analysis, counterintelligence and technical intelligence -- enable military operations while also informing policy-makers at the defense and national levels.
DIA’s mission is unique and no other agency matches its military expertise across such a broad range of intelligence disciplines.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 26, 2021
Nice overview of China's national military and doctrine/strategy.
Good context about modernisation efforts with more focus on "joint capabilities" and ability to perform in "informatised wars".
Expected more from core capabilities section in the main report - but I guess the detail I was looking for was in the Appendices -covering each of the arms of the PLA. All the military information (weapon acronyms, model numbers) went over my head though - first time looking into things like this.
Interesting how fast the world moves - that even this publication finalised in late 2018 has some parts that feel outdated now.
Good context about modernisation efforts with more focus on "joint capabilities" and ability to perform in "informatised wars".
Expected more from core capabilities section in the main report - but I guess the detail I was looking for was in the Appendices -covering each of the arms of the PLA. All the military information (weapon acronyms, model numbers) went over my head though - first time looking into things like this.
Interesting how fast the world moves - that even this publication finalised in late 2018 has some parts that feel outdated now.
November 10, 2019
From the same publishers that used to release the Soviet Military Power books in the 80s and early 90s, comes this book. It's not as impressive as those previous offerings (it's more like a super-sized Osprey book with over half of the pages devoted to appendixes) , but it's a welcome edition worth reviewing if you have an interest in the topic. It would have been better if there were more pictures of some of the weapons systems mentioned in the book, but I guess these days one can always use Google or YouTube to lookup pics and videos as needed.
January 31, 2022
This book draws extensively upon open source information on China's military development & obviously is skewed in favor of an American-centric security perspective, considering the intelligence agency tasked to compile it. That being said, there are some interesting perspectives that can be gleaned from this publication. PLA's past & continuing efforts at professionalization & modernization are not surprising given the view that China considers itself the preeminent Asian power if not prospective global superpower. And to be fair to interested readers whom are unable to read Mandarin, this book is a must-have.
The amateur armchair observer here in Malaysia is of the opinion that PLA's continuing efforts to achieve parity with U.S. & achieve relative superiority over its near-peers, supplemented by other non-military means, may find itself stumbling upon the following points; though one stands ready to be corrected:
a) Party vs State
The PLA is subservient to CCP and not to the state itself. That unstated conflation between party and state may in the future present a dilemma to PLA's commanders in the event that they are asked to secure & protect the leadership of the party at the expense of the state.
b) Continuing Political Education
The culture of political education & its attendant commissars is still well and alive within the PLA. An hour spent on political education means an hour not spent for professional training; Over a few months that shortfall could well be nigh insignificant, but accumulated over a number of years it could prove fatal to a PLA aiming to raise cadre of highly-trained NCOs capable of leading enlisted personnel in small-unit formations.
c) Command And Control
China's emperors has traditionally been suspicious of their generals; often cashiering them out or removing them from major commands out of fear of internal coups. Likewise, command of major units were either subject to dual-command or peace- and war-time commands were entrusted to separate commanders. This paranoia was exhibit even in Mao's time when he regularly shuffled senior officers and movements of large-sized echelons required his personal approval. China's present-day leaders are attempting to rid themselves of the vestiges of the past by instituting a C2 reform akin to that of standing professional armed forces found outside of PRC. It is not clear as to how far are they willing to pursue the said reform.
The amateur armchair observer here in Malaysia is of the opinion that PLA's continuing efforts to achieve parity with U.S. & achieve relative superiority over its near-peers, supplemented by other non-military means, may find itself stumbling upon the following points; though one stands ready to be corrected:
a) Party vs State
The PLA is subservient to CCP and not to the state itself. That unstated conflation between party and state may in the future present a dilemma to PLA's commanders in the event that they are asked to secure & protect the leadership of the party at the expense of the state.
b) Continuing Political Education
The culture of political education & its attendant commissars is still well and alive within the PLA. An hour spent on political education means an hour not spent for professional training; Over a few months that shortfall could well be nigh insignificant, but accumulated over a number of years it could prove fatal to a PLA aiming to raise cadre of highly-trained NCOs capable of leading enlisted personnel in small-unit formations.
c) Command And Control
China's emperors has traditionally been suspicious of their generals; often cashiering them out or removing them from major commands out of fear of internal coups. Likewise, command of major units were either subject to dual-command or peace- and war-time commands were entrusted to separate commanders. This paranoia was exhibit even in Mao's time when he regularly shuffled senior officers and movements of large-sized echelons required his personal approval. China's present-day leaders are attempting to rid themselves of the vestiges of the past by instituting a C2 reform akin to that of standing professional armed forces found outside of PRC. It is not clear as to how far are they willing to pursue the said reform.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews