This updated volume is of special relevance in light of the profound changes occurring within the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). China's desire to develop a military commensurate with its diverse interests is both legitimate and understandable. The challenge for U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) is to understand how China will employ this growing military capability in support of its interests. The book addresses the uncertainty surrounding the potential direction of the PLA by examining three distinct focus areas: domestic, external, and technological drivers of PLA modernization; alternative futures for the PLA; and, Implications for the region, world, and U.S.-China relations. The analysis provides an insightful perspective into the factors shaping and propelling the PLA's modernization, its potential future orientation ranging from internally focused to globally focused, and how the PLA's choices may impact China's relations with its neighbors and the world.

Audience: Military personnel, policy analysts, lawmakers, and foreign officers in the Asia Pacific region may find many insights in this book pertaining to the development of the Chinese People's Liberation Army under the leadership of Chinese President, Xi Jinping. High school, community college, and undergraduate university students pursuing coursework and research for United States 1945- Present, global studies, and world history classes may find this text helpful for classroom debates about the expansion of the Chinese military role. Graduate students may find this work helpful for International Relations, Chinese Studies, and Global Affairs coursework in the pursuit of a Master's Degree program in these areas.

China resources collection can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/international-foreign-affairs/asia/china



About the Author: ABOUT THE EDITORS:

ROY KAMPHAUSEN, editor of this work, is a senior advisor at The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a senior advisor to the University of Connecticut, Office of Global Affairs. Previously, he was senior vice president for Political and Security Affairs and Director of NBR's Washington, DC, office. Prior to joining NBR, Mr. Kamphausen served as a U.S. Army officer, a career that culminated in an assignment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Country Director for China-Taiwan-Mongolia Affairs. Previous assignments in-clude the Joint Staff as an intelligence analyst and later as China Branch Chief in the Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5). A fluent Chinese (Mandarin) linguist and an Army China Foreign Area Officer, Mr. Kamphausen served 2 tours at the Defense Attaché Office of the U.S. Embassy in the People's Republic of China. He is a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Asia Society, and the Council for Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. His areas of professional expertise include China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), U.S.-China defense relations, U.S. defense and security policy toward Asia, and East Asian security issues. Mr. Kamphausen has co-authored the last eight volumes from the Carlisle PLA Conference. Mr. Kamphausen holds a B.A. in political science from Wheaton College and an M.A. in international affairs from Columbia University.

DAVID LAI, co-editor of this work, is Research Professor of Asian Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College. Prior to this position, he was on the faculty of the U.S. Air War College in Montgomery, AL. Dr Lai's research and teaching cover U.S.-China and U.S.-Asian relations and Chinese strategic thinking and military operational art.