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

top national priority, paralleling Deng’s principle of
economics in command, much to the delight of PLA
generals. War preparation has enhanced the PLA’s
special place in China’s overall development. 21 On
the other hand, military transformation serves CCP
efforts to raise China’s international profile, which in
turn enhances the Party’s popularity with the soldiers.
Inevitably, building a capable fighting force entails
sustained inputs of resources. Although short of PLA
expectations, CCP leaders have ensured the rise of defense
expenditures in keeping with the GDP growth
rate. The National Defense Law provides the legal basis
for the double-digit military budget increase in the
last 2 decades. The special interest-sharing relations
between the CCP and the PLA are reflected in the fact
that few ruling parties in the world are as nice as the
CCP is to the PLA and vice versa.
Conceptualizing Emerging Trends: Promoting PLA
Professionalism.
The ultimate interests sought by the PLA as a key
power group concern the improvement of its combat
capabilities and corporate identity. Preparation for
war is now the center of all its work, and everything
else serves the goal of winning the next war. 22 This has
made irreversible the trend of PLA professionalization,
which has a profound impact on long term civilmilitary
ties. At the moment, a delicate balance has
been struck by the two sides: if professionalism helps
create a strong, subordinate, and noninterventionist
PLA, it serves the best interests of the Party: protecting
the CCP’s hold on power, while allowing the PLA
to concentrate on its professional pursuits.
What CCP leaders have done in this regard is similar
to what civilians in other states do: have soldiers
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