Some of the key aspects of doctrinal, manpower, and technical modernization of China's armed forces are the subject of this unique collection of essays. The volume goes beyond a limited assessment of China's military modernization, to stress the implications of modernization with respect to regional Asian security and the broader international scene. Varying perspectives on China's military modernization are presented against a framework that considers U.S. national security policy, the Strategic Defense Initiative, and strategic trade with China, in addition to China's own nuclear deterrent and its military posture vis-a-vis the Soviet Union, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The critical issue of China's defense modernization is presented in light of practical, domestic, political, and economic constraints on defense modernization facing the Beijing government.

Larry M. Wortzel, a Major in the United States Army, earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.