ABSTRACT
China’s central organizations for defense are both defined and confusing—clear because China is a communist state and the Chinese Communist party (CCP) is in charge; confusing because the realities of the Chinese revolution produced a political structure more complex than the model of unified, one-party rule would suggest. The revolution in China, and the establishment of CCP rule, was due primarily to the success of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Thus the CCP recognized that the armed forces play a central role in maintaining its power, both against foreign pressures and by ensuring domestic order. The CCP, as the guiding force in Chinese politics in general, also maintains its influence through political cadres in the armed forces down to the lowest level. The true extent of the nonprofessional power in the PLA has, of course, changed from time to time as the general CCP line has shifted.
