United States Military-To-Military Contact with the People's Liberation Army of China

摘要

This thesis will assess whether or not military-to-military contacts between the United States military and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will be advantageous to American interests. The main reason not to increase military-to-military contact is that we may go to war with China in the future. Taiwan, China's perceived bid for regional hegemony, and its aggressive missile program stand as reasons not to increase military-to-military contact programs. On the other hand, engagement proponents argue that access to counterparts in foreign militaries might help avert these very crises that may lead to war. In addition, case studies of Indonesia and El Salvador show that the long-held traditions of strong military influence over civil administration and oppression towards their own populace are on the decline. To a significant degree, this can be attributed to the participation of these nation's security forces in American military-to-military engagement program. Through aggressive military engagement programs, the United States has gained significant access to top military and civilian leaders in foreign nations. On some occasions, this has influenced these individuals and has led to positive and significant changes in patterns of behavior of the host nation's security forces.