"David Shambaugh, a leading international authority on Chinese strategic and military affairs, offers a uniquely comprehensive and insightful assessment of the Chinese military.

Basing his analysis on an unprecedented use of Chinese military publications and interviews with People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers, Shambaugh addresses important questions about Chinese strategic intentions and military capabilities - questions that are of key concern for government policymakers as well as strategic analysts and a concerned public.".

"The policy consequences of China's military modernization for the United States and China's neighbors are multiple and profound, involving questions of the global balance of power. Shambaugh investigates how much progress the PLA is making and in precisely which areas. He questions whether China is developing a power projection capability that might threaten its neighbors and important American interests in East Asia.

He also asks whether the PLA can successfully invade Taiwan if ordered to do so, whether China's strategic missile force threatens its neighbors and the United States, and whether China's own military-industrial establishment is capable of producing modern weaponry."--BOOK JACKET.