Chinese People's Militia and the Doctrine of People's War

摘要

This study looks for clues to Chinese thinking on defensive strategy and doctrine and to its approach to military modernization in the recent history of the Chinese People's Militia. Organized in four chapters, the study begins with a detailed examination of the militia system itself. The first chapter adds considerably to the body of knowledge available on this hitherto obscure component of the Chinese armed forces. The second and third chapters examine recent developments in China which have shaped Beijing's current militia policy. These chapters describe the way in which Chinese defensive strategy and the militia's role in that strategy have been influenced by the evolution since 1977 of Beijing's military modernization program. In the final chapter, the author concludes that the many obituaries written on People's War in recent years by observers of Chinese military affairs are premature. In summary, this study shows that valuable insights into Chinese thinking on major issues of national military policy can be gained through use of the militia as a lens through which to view the evolution of Chinese strategy and doctrine.