The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

The Second Dimension: Horizontal Discourse.
The PLA is grappling with MOOTW. Different
services have different thinking about MOOTW. The
PLA Navy (PLAN) and PLA Air Force (PLAAF), for
example, see clear benefits for each service, while the
ground forces appear more ambivalent. The discourse
over MOOTW is primarily horizontal, although with
clear vertical linkages.
The PLAN seems to be the most enthusiastic about
MOOTW and best positioned and organized of all the
services to exploit the concept for service interests. The
PLAN has sought to highlight its value in MOOTW.
Admiral Tian Zhong, concurrently commander of the
Northern Fleet and deputy commander of the Jinan
Military Region, began a major 2008 article in China
Military Science with the following lead-in: “The 17th
Party Congress Report states: ‘Raise military capabilities
to deal with many different security threats,
and accomplish diversified military tasks,’ [moreover,
the report] emphasizes in international relations
managing ‘mutual trust, strengthening cooperation,
strengthening peaceful means but not war methods
to solve international disputes.’ The PLAN can conduct
strategic, comprehensive, and international military
duties in vast maritime expanses to perform the
New Historic Missions.” Admiral Tian, writing from
his perch in the Middle Echelon both to his colleagues
in the Administration PLA as well as for the Higher
Echelon Command PLA, focused on the “special characteristics”
of the naval dimensions of MOOTW and
capabilities required. 33
The PLAAF also displays great interest in MOOTW
and trumpets its advantages and contends it is poised
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