ABSTRACT
After the October 1992 Party Congress, it seemed that the future development of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would be influ enced by military professionalism much more than in any past period. By that time, the political assault on the PLA, which had been launched following its uncertain behaviour during the Tiananmen crisis, had run its course, and PLA activities had been refocused on improving military capabilities. Lending impetus to this effort was the shock given to the Chinese leadership by the Gulf War, which highlighted the awesome complexity of high-tech warfare and spotlighted the chasm that separ ated the PLA from advanced armies.
