Book Alert / A History of the Modern Chinese Army

A History of the Modern Chinese Army by Xiaobing Li, UKentucky Press, $39.95, 413 pages, ISBN #0813124387. Index, bibliography, source notes, b&w images sprinkled through text.

It has become conventional wisdom in recent years that the American (20th) Century will be followed by the Asian (21st) Century. And by far the most formidable nation in Asia is China, which promises to be a major player in, if not dominate, global economic affairs in the years ahead. Consequently, studies of any major aspect of Chinese life assume increased importance.

In his new book, Xiaobing Li, former member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, traces the Chinese Army from the Qin dynasty of 221-210 B.C. up to the present, although concentrating on the years from the 1940s on. An army exists not unto itself but must relate to the political realities of the society it is designed to protect, and events of 20th century China both stressed and challenged the Chinese military infrastructure.

While the army gained combat experience during the Korean War and in Cold War skirmishes, its level of sophistication was woefully inadequate, with army members having, on average, a 9th grade education. Only four percent of the 224 top Chinese generals, the author writes, had any college credit hours. This changed, however, in 1995, when massive reforms sought to infuse new technological might into the Chinese Army and to institute advanced training and recruiting efforts. The author teaches history at the University of Central Oklahoma.