What is the balance of civil-military relations in Chinese strategy? To fully understand this dynamic, researchers must examine how the Chinese Communist Party's civil-military relationship is executed both internally within the military ranks and externally across the state's industrial and commercial sectors.
Internally, how does the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conduct political work? Furthermore, how does the PLA perceive this political work contributing to its overall force effectiveness?
Externally, this civil-military balance is leveraged to integrate the civilian tech and industrial base to support military objectives. This research requires an analysis of the PRC's "Military Civil Fusion" (MCF) strategy. Specifically, how does the MCF support PLA operations in aerospace domains?
- Babb, Wallace, "Alternate Procurement Methods for Mitigating China MCF Strategy," Air Force Global College thesis, 2025, 36 pgs.
- Frost, Maj. Ryan S., "Collision Course with China: Considerations for Policymakers in the Western Hemisphere," Air Force Fellows paper, 2021, 45 pgs.
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- d'Agrella, Maj. Sylvester, "Asia Rebalance: Reunification and Grand Bargaining to Minimize the East Asia Security Dilemma," ACSC elective paper, 2020, 9 pgs.
- De La Barrera, Maj. Mario Enrique, "Confronting China's Military Modernization: Understanding the People's Liberation Army Structure, Command Culture and Threat to US Interests," AFGC thesis, 2025.
- De La Barrera explains that unlike the U.S. military, which serves the state and Constitution, the PLA functions as a "party-army" whose primary loyalty is to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He notes that the CCP achieves this absolute subordination through an "interlocking directorate" where senior leaders hold top positions in both the party and the military, ensuring that the armed forces act as a direct instrument to uphold party interests and safeguard the CCP's political survival.
- Hockersmith, Maj. Brian, "The 'Asia Rebalance' in US Strategy: Geopolitical Challenges," ACSC elective paper, 2020, 10 pgs.
- Marshall, Maj. Keith L., "China's Ascension and the Implications for US National Security Strategy Development and Response," eSchool thesis, 2020, 58 pgs.
- Ranes, Maj. Jackson, "Domestic Pressures for Chinese Expansionism," ACSC elective paper, 2020, 12 pgs.
- Stone, Alex & Peter Wood, "China's Military-Civil Fusion Strategy: A View from Chinese Strategists" CASI Paper, 2020, 142 pgs.
- Werner, Maj. Tiffany, "China's Demographic Disaster: Risk and Opportunity," ACSC elective paper, 2020, 17 pgs.