Chinese People's Liberation Army in 2025.

摘要

I am pleased to introduce The Chinese People s Liberation Army of 2025 which is the 2014 edition of an ongoing series on the People s Liberation Army (PLA) co-published by the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI), the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), and the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM). This volume builds on previous volumes and identifies potential trajectories for PLA force modernization and mission focus, and how these potential changes could impact external actors. This volume is of special relevance today in light of the profound changes occurring within the PLA. I have spent a considerable amount of my professional career in the Western Pacific and, during that time, I have witnessed first-hand the rapid expansion of the size and capability of the PLA as it pursues a longterm, comprehensive military modernization program. China s desire to develop a military commensurate with its diverse interests is both legitimate and understandable. The challenge for USPACOM, and the reason why this volume is timely and important, is to understand how China will employ this growing military capability in support of its interests. The scholarship presented in this edition addresses the uncertainty surrounding the potential direction of the PLA by examining three distinct focus areas: Domestic, External, and Technological Drivers of PLA Modernization; Alternative Futures for the PLA; and, Implications for the Region, World, and U.S.-China Relations. The analysis provides an insightful perspective into the factors shaping and propelling the PLA s modernization, its potential future orientation ranging from internally focused to globally focused, and how the PLA s choices may impact China s relations with its neighbors and the world. NBR and SSI have, once again, provided an outstanding contribution to the growing body of research and analysis on the PLA.