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

pact on China’s relations with major world powers,
especially with the United States, are taken seriously
in regard to anticipated or unforeseen events, such as
the U.S. Naval Ship (USNS) Impeccable encounter. To
the PLA, it was electronic warfare, not just a diplomatic
incident, as the ship was perceived to be stealing
vital information about China’s nuclear submarines.
Therefore, advanced counter plans (预案) have been
formulated to deal with this quasi-war situation. Yet
in order to lower the intensity of confrontation, it was
the militia that was dispatched to the scene with PLA
back-up. Therefore, civilians’ assistance was important.
Like the U.S. aircraft EP-3 event before it, Chinese
action was carefully executed according to the
predetermined rules of engagement, and thus it was
unlikely independent behavior by the soldiers at the
front line. During the EP-3 incident, Wang Wei may
have implemented the plan with more zeal than necessary,
but it was not likely a breach of discipline.
Conceptualizing Emerging Trends: Guaranteeing
Military Autonomy.
The post-Deng leaders have realized that institutionalized
civil-military relations can be achieved
only when civilians and generals strike a balance between
effective civilian control and sufficient military
autonomy. Without the former, the military may be
tempted to maximize its gains at the expense of other
political and social interests. Without the latter, civilian
control can be intrusive and bilateral relations
become unstable. Only when the military has enough
autonomy, will it become less interventionist in inner
party politics. In the post-Deng era, the trend toward
promoting military autonomy has been a focus of in-
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