ABSTRACT
A key component of the military reform agenda is to change and reform its educational system. This chapter shows how the reform agenda has affected military education in China. One of the principal reforms undertaken was to increase both the number of military academies and the number of personnel they could train. At the end of the Cultural Revolution, the military educational system was virtually in a shambles. In 1983, Xiao Ke elaborated on three problems of professional military education which were posed by 'the bondages of leftist erroneous thought'. The Chinese tendency to insulate professional development by specialty also is reflected in the treatment of military education faculty. At the 35th National Day celebration, the huge military parade in Beijing was led by officers of China’s military academies. Perhaps no better symbol could serve as a reminder of the importance of military education to the future of China’s armed forces.
