ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a description of Chinese policies which are likely to have a significant impact on future elite change within the military cadre system. It describes several people's liberation army (PLA) efforts to modernize its forces by improving the quality of its personnel and organizations. PLA leaders who matured during the two decades after 1935 can generally be characterized as charismatic type revolutionaries. PLA officers often stated that if those ragged Afghan rebels could handle the mighty Soviet Red Army then the Chinese people's warriors in the PLA would be able to defeat the Russians in time. PLA leaders were also reluctant to go outside China and purchase new equipment or weapons systems because they knew they lacked skilled manpower. Generally the PLA was quite successful at retiring overaged cadre during the period from 1981 through 1984. The term intellectualization is used by PLA leaders to describe the improvement of the general educational level of cadre and soldiers.
