Lectures of Opportunity: "Active Defense: China’s Military Strategies Since 1949"

Active Defense: China’s Military Strategies Since 1949

Based on a new book, this talk will examine the nine national military strategies, known as “strategic guidelines,” that China has adopted since 1949. The strategies adopted in 1956, 1980, and 1993 represent major changes in China’s military strategy, or efforts by the People’s Liberation Army to wage war in a new way. This talk examines why major changes in strategy have been pursued at these moments and not at other times, highlighting the role of shifts in the conduct of warfare in the international system and unity among the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.

About this Lecture

This Lectures of Opportunity is co-sponsored with the China Maritime Studies Institute and offers U.S. Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to learn more about national and international socio-political subjects that may be of relevance to the NWC community.