ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the defence politics of the People’s Republic of China. China has allocated resources to pursue a broad-based military build-up encompassing force-wide professionalization; improved training; more robust, realistic joint exercises; and the accelerated acquisition of advanced weapons. As in most other countries, both internal and external factors influence China’s defence policymaking. These factors include China’s growing economic power, Taiwan’s steady movement towards formal independence, US military alliances and forward deployment in Asia, and developments in North Korea. China is afraid that the US is attempting to contain China’s rise and is setting up an ‘Asian North Atlantic Treaty Organization’ that includes, among others, the US, Japan, Australia, India and Singapore. To allay suspicions and concerns of China’s neighbours, Chinese leaders and People’s Liberation Army officers have taken pains to reiterate China’s peaceful intentions and emphasize that China’s armed forces will not constitute a threat to any country.
