Dragon’s Teeth and Dragon’s Brain continues....

The PLA therefore reports to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through the Central Military Commission (CMC), and NOT to the Chinese government, whereas the PAP is commanded by and reports to

the Chinese government, which is controlled by the CCP through the

Standing Committee of the Politbureau of the CCP. The necessary coordination between the PLA and the Chinese government is done through a ‘Central Military Commission’ of the government.

This is a relatively powerless, ‘rubber-stamping’ or ‘post-office’ body, usually headed by the same person who heads the main CMC, who is usually

the most powerful person in China at any time. Today, the Chairman of both the CMC’s is Xi Jinping, the President of the PRC The mere fact that the PRC has in effect split its security forces into two large groupings, the PLA of the Communist Party and the PAP of the Government of China, itself reflects the confidence of the CCP that it can continue to rule China for the foreseeable future.

The move has allowed the PLA to modernize and professionalize quickly, and to metamorphose out of the previous cumbrous foot-soldier oriented

‘people’s war’ army, a carry-over from the civil war against the KMT’s Nationalist Chinese government. Modernisation and professionalisation of the PLA has not been possible at the same time at all levels, nor in all functional fields. The PLA has therefore prioritized some fields of development and some fighting elements for ‘fast-track’ modernization.

The units and formations of ground forces operationally needed on priority have been designated as the ‘fist elements’ which are being modernized on an ‘as soon as possible’ basis.

This includes all such forces as the Chinese feel are necessary to maintain ‘peace and stability’ on their periphery. India is not the priority zone on their periphery, on

which Taiwan and the US Pacific forces, and Japan, are their primary

military concerns.

To be continued....