PLA as a World Power

Essay by GamblorUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, February 2004

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China in the late 20th century has made a major turn around in the economic sector. China has made the transformation from an authoritarian regime where millions of people died of starvation to a huge and relatively free economic powerhouse. Home to a quarter of the world's population, China is unquestionably a major player in the world economy. But the leaders of China do not just want China to be an economic power, like all countries, China seeks the status and influences of a Great power . "It has been decreed that China should be the major nation in the Asia-Pacific region and therefore possess the military power to gain such recognition." Currently however, China does not have the capabilities to reach those heights. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is not powerful enough at the moment to dominate the area; it is even questionable in securing its own boarders .

This is caused by political insecurity in the area and the lack of ability in the technological field.

But the PLA has always been the pride and joy of Communist China. Since the overcoming a superior force of the Guo Min Dang (GMD) the PLA has been at the forefront of all major Chinese political arenas. They have put down rebellions, defended the People's Republic of China's interests both inside and outside of China and are currently recognized as a formidable opponent by anyone's standards. Even one of the first real achievements of Communist China is to obtain nuclear capability for the PLA.

The PLA is the all-encompassing unit of the Chinese armed forces including the Infantry, Navy (PLAN), Air Force (PLAAF), and the Second Artillery. The size of the PLA Varies significantly from source to source but officially it is under 2,500,000 for the year 2002. The policy of...