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

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TAIWAN AS A TEST TO CHINA’S EVOLVING<br />

CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS<br />

As mentioned earlier, the continu<strong>at</strong>ion of the current<br />

smooth civil-military rel<strong>at</strong>ions depends on some<br />

preconditions. Prominent among them is the absence<br />

of major policy disagreement between these two powerful<br />

institutions <strong>and</strong>, of course, within the Politburo.<br />

<strong>The</strong>refore, this seemingly uneventful civil-military rel<strong>at</strong>ionship<br />

is not a given. Among the issues th<strong>at</strong> may<br />

gener<strong>at</strong>e policy strife is the Taiwan challenge, especially<br />

<strong>at</strong> this moment when Beijing is substantially<br />

adjusting its Taiwan policy as a result of the regime<br />

change in Taipei in May 2008. <strong>The</strong> ease of tension provides<br />

both new opportunities <strong>and</strong> challenges to joint<br />

CCP/<strong>PLA</strong> management of Taiwan affairs.<br />

Civil-Military Convergence on a Taiwan Policy.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re has been a broad civil/military consensus<br />

on a Taiwan policy, which has been defined by war<br />

avoidance. But <strong>at</strong> the same time, civilians’ lofty rhetoric<br />

contrasts with tough <strong>PLA</strong> remarks. This is particularly<br />

true in Hu’s case, who has seldom used any<br />

thre<strong>at</strong>ening language in commenting on Taiwan affairs.<br />

59 <strong>The</strong> usual talk about a discord between civilian<br />

<strong>and</strong> military leaders over the Taiwan issue has been<br />

exagger<strong>at</strong>ed. <strong>The</strong>y share a str<strong>at</strong>egic view th<strong>at</strong> antiindependence<br />

efforts have to be firm <strong>and</strong> persistent. 60<br />

Beijing’s Taiwan policy is built upon two bases: peaceful<br />

inducement for reunific<strong>at</strong>ion, <strong>and</strong> thre<strong>at</strong> of force<br />

against independence. It is only n<strong>at</strong>ural th<strong>at</strong> civilians<br />

emphasize the former <strong>and</strong> officers the l<strong>at</strong>ter. Any discussion<br />

of the <strong>PLA</strong>’s role in Beijing’s Taiwan policy<br />

process needs to trace the sources of their functional<br />

165

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