Defense Modernization in the People's Republic of China.

Chinese decisionmakers have used various strategies in their past efforts to modernize their defense establishment. Any effort to amend previous strategies will be constrained both by the competing demands of other economic sectors and by continuing deficiencies in Chinas scientific and industrial manpower base. Affecting these constraints in a significant way can succeed only as part of a systematic long-term development effort. A quick-fix defense option for the PRC that is, one premised on rapid assimilation of advanced foreign military technologies and extensive weaponry purchases abroad is not feasible for Chinese security planners. To attempt such a strategy would severely tax the available budgetary and manpower resources. It would also compromise a 20 year effort to create an indigenous base for military reseach and production, even though the domestic defense industries lag significantly behind the technological capacities of the superpowers. Of necessity, therefore, Chinese security strategy will continue to rely heavily on both a political and diplomatic component, rather than depending exclusively upon military acquisitions and deployments.