Harlan W Jencks

International experts examine transactions, capabilities, structures and norms influencing the complex network of trade in missile technologies.

This book examines the extent, nature, and political implications of professionalization in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). It provides a description and evaluation of the military, political, economic, and social context within which PLA officers have functioned since the civil war.

International experts examine transactions, capabilities, structures and norms influencing the complex network of trade in missile technologies.

This book provides a detailed description and evaluation of the military, political, economic, and social context within which PLA officers have functioned since the civil war (1945-1949). Its aim is to evaluate the personal commitments and professional implications of a military career in the People's Republic of China. Focusing on the crucial factors of military function and technology, Dr. Jencks describes and analyzes the various post-1949 crises in the high command; his emphasis is on the import of these events for the officer corps rather than on the details of the events themselves. A wealth of information on the force structure, equipment, and military capability of the PLA provides an up-to-date assessment of Chinese military power. At the same time, the information depicts the life and work of Chinese soldiers and is central to the "biography" of the post-1945 generations of PLA officers.