Professionalization of the Senior Chinese Officer Corps Trends and Implications

摘要

This report documents one component of a larger RAND effort to analyze keyfactors influencing China's emergent national security strategies, policies, and military capabilities, and their potential consequences for longer-term U.S. national security interests. Specifically, this report evaluates demographic and cohort changes in the officer corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), examining both cohort alignment and professionalizing trends in retirement, education, and functional specialization.