Kenneth Allen

Judy Baxter is a remarkable woman. She's beautiful, alluring--and a victim of terrorism. This was thrust on her by fate. She certainly didn't plan it, nor did the perpetrators of that terror choose their backgrounds. Can the individuals thrown together when hell visits Earth survive and rebuild? Enter into a world of intrigue, suspense, danger, and surprises at every turn. From high finance to fashion runways, readers will be riveted to the story as it unfolds in twists and turns before them. Ultimately, though, the goodness of humanity and the unity we find together prevails over evil that seeks to destroy.

Judy Baxter is a remarkable woman. She's beautiful, alluring--and a victim of terrorism. This was thrust on her by fate. She certainly didn't plan it, nor did the perpetrators of that terror choose their backgrounds. Can the individuals thrown together when hell visits Earth survive and rebuild? Enter into a world of intrigue, suspense, danger, and surprises at every turn. From high finance to fashion runways, readers will be riveted to the story as it unfolds in twists and turns before them. Ultimately, though, the goodness of humanity and the unity we find together prevails over evil that seeks to destroy.

The international profile of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has grown significantly over the last half decade, with a notable increase in the frequency and complexity of its activities with partners abroad. As the Chinese military participates in multilateral meetings and engages foreign militaries around the world, it is strengthening diplomatic relations, building the People's Republic of China's (PRC's) soft power, and learning how to deploy and support military forces for longer periods. Several aspects of the PLA's military diplomacy remain relatively understudied. What are the PLA's objectives in conducting military diplomacy? Which partners does the PLA interact with most? What trends are evident in the pace and type of activities the PLA carries out? Which aspects of PLA military diplomacy should concern U. S. policymakers, and which present opportunities? This paper employs a variety of sources to analyze overall trends in the PLA's military diplomacy from approximately 2003 to the end of 2016, and it compares trends during the Hu Jintao era to trends since Xi Jinping became chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in November 2012.