For more than a decade considerable attention has focused on the subject of leadership transition in the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Civil-Military Change in China: Elites, Institutes, and Ideas After the 16th Party Congress
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For more than a decade considerable attention has focused on the subject of leadership transition in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Who would succeed Deng Xiaoping (1904-97) and the other geriatric elites of the so-called "Long March Generation"? According to conventional wisdom, the reins of power in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and People's Liberation Army (PLA) were being transferred from poorly educated revolutionaries and guerilla fighters to technocratic bureaucrats and military professionals. Since 2002, the PRC has experienced a "sweeping" turnover of Party, state, and military elites. This volume examines in some detail the key personalities of the new crop of Chinese leaders both in and out of uniform—the so-called "Fourth Generation." Moreover, contributors analyze civil-military interactions in the wake of the CCP's 16th Party Congress held in November 2002 and the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) held in March 2003, and examine key trends in strategic thought and the role of national security research institutes.