Author Description

This report examines many of the weaknesses in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) human capital and organization realms, its combat capabilities across various domains, and China's defense research and industrial complex. Furthermore, the report analyzes how these weaknesses affect the PLA's performance of missions tasked by Beijing. China's military isn't ready to win wars despite spending heavily to modernize. The People's Liberation Army suffers from 'potentially serious weaknesses' that could limit its ability to conduct the operations required to fight and win future conflicts. "Although the PLA's capabilities have increased dramatically, its remaining weaknesses increase the risk of failure to successfully perform the missions the Chinese Communist Party leaders may task it to perform," the report says. It cited Taiwan contingencies, maritime claim missions, protecting sea lines of communications and some non-war military operations. The report looks at two critical shortcomings: institutional and combat capabilities. On institutional issues, the PLA faces shortcomings regarding outdated command structures, quality of personnel, professionalism and corruption. Combat weaknesses include logistical, insufficient strategic airlift capabilities, limited numbers of special-mission aircraft, and deficiencies in fleet air defense and anti-submarine warfare.