ABSTRACT
The role of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in China’s security policymaking in general, and Taiwan policy in particular, has always attracted wide attention among China analysts. The reason is not difficult to imagine, because the PLA has been involved in all the different stages of Taiwan-related policymaking. It is not an exaggeration to say that, before the 1980s, the PLA was the primary actor in dealing with Taiwan, and such a role can be dated back to the civil war period between the rebellious Chinese Communist Party and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government before 1949. In order to militarily defeat the Nationalist government and regain Taiwan before and after 1949, relevant organizations were set up in the PLA to help accomplish the mission, and this paved the way for the PLA’s primary and influential role in Taiwan policy.
