The PLA's Path Toward Transparency
By Kenneth Allen
5 Aug 2005
PRC publications intend to increase military transparency and establish mutual understanding: transparency is critical to fostering trust and diffusing suspicion. One of the most dramatic changes in the PLA is the amount and types of material it has made public about itself over the past twenty-five years, including newspapers, periodicals and books. The information is available in book stores, by mail and on the Internet. Some of the information is also available in English. Without this information, it would be even more difficult to understand the PLA today. However, although the PLA has become more transparent in many areas several foreign governments have pressed China to provide greater transparency in some key areas concerning the PLA’s force structure. Specifically, the PLA is still opaque about its orders of battle, weapon systems, budget, pay scales and personnel force structure. Ironically, some of the areas of opaqueness, such as weapon systems capabilities, are available in English-language publications, such as the Jane’s Defence series. Furthermore, information about the PLA’s organizational order of battle is also available in foreign publications and on the Internet.
5 Aug 2005
PRC publications intend to increase military transparency and establish mutual understanding: transparency is critical to fostering trust and diffusing suspicion. One of the most dramatic changes in the PLA is the amount and types of material it has made public about itself over the past twenty-five years, including newspapers, periodicals and books. The information is available in book stores, by mail and on the Internet. Some of the information is also available in English. Without this information, it would be even more difficult to understand the PLA today. However, although the PLA has become more transparent in many areas several foreign governments have pressed China to provide greater transparency in some key areas concerning the PLA’s force structure. Specifically, the PLA is still opaque about its orders of battle, weapon systems, budget, pay scales and personnel force structure. Ironically, some of the areas of opaqueness, such as weapon systems capabilities, are available in English-language publications, such as the Jane’s Defence series. Furthermore, information about the PLA’s organizational order of battle is also available in foreign publications and on the Internet.
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