China's Quest for Military Supremacy
by Joel Wuthnow & Phillip C. Saunders
March 10, 2025
Publisher: Polity
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China's Quest for Military Supremacy
by Joel Wuthnow & Phillip C. Saunders
China's military has entered a new era. It has acquired modern weapons to rival the world’s finest, undergone a massive restructuring under Xi Jinping, and been on the frontlines of territorial disputes with Japan, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It is readying forces to be able to seize Taiwan sometime in the next decade. It aims to be a "world-class" military on par with the United States.
China's Quest for Military Supremacy provides a broad and accessible exploration of Chinese military power, including relations between the Chinese Communist Party and its army, the strategic worldview of Chinese leaders, military strategy and resourcing, conventional and nuclear modernization, military diplomacy and coercion, preparations for war, and the People's Liberation Army’s emerging global role. It also identifies the challenges facing China’s military and shows how its focus on supremacy in the region means that it is not yet prepared to fight with the same lethality beyond Asia. Different futures are possible, and the book concludes with a preview of what it might take for a truly "world-class" Chinese military to take the global stage.
Indigo / Amazon |
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Reviews:
“As Sun Tzu once said, one must know one’s adversary as well as oneself to succeed. Today we all need a better understanding of the pacing challenge posed by the Chinese military. China’s Quest for Military Supremacy is current, comprehensive, and presents critical information in an easy-to-read style from two dedicated experts. This is a must-read for all military professionals and anyone who needs to learn about the People’s Liberation Army.”
General James N. Mattis, USMC (ret.), 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense
“The most comprehensive and detailed book to date on China's military development. A must-read for defense and military officials and a great reference for anyone who cares about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Admiral (ret.) Lee Hsi-Min, 26th Chief of the General Staff, Republic of China (Taiwan)
“An excellent primer on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and a must read for those trying to understand the Chinese military.”
Bonny Lin, Center for Strategic & International Studies
“Saunders and Wuthnow deliver an accessible, balanced, and historically grounded overview of the People’s Liberation Army, its breathtaking modernization, and the challenges it faces realizing Beijing’s vision for its role in China’s emergence as a global leader in every domain.”
Daniel Tobin, Senior Associate (non-resident), Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies
“A master class on the Chinese military. Joel Wuthnow and Phillip Saunders deliver a mental accelerant for those seeking to get smart on the world’s most dangerous authoritarian war machine. Erudite and crisply written, this brilliant book shines a broad and searching light on its object, showing the PLA’s remarkable strengths ― and potential weak points that could be targeted.”
Ian Easton, author of The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia |
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About the book:
China's Quest for Military Supremacy
by Joel Wuthnow & Phillip C. Saunders
Polity- 256 pages 32.99 (Kobo)
Publication Date: March 10, 2025
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About the Author: Joel Wuthnow
Dr. Joel Wuthnow is a senior research fellow in the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the U.S. National Defense University (NDU). His areas of interest include Chinese foreign and security policy, Chinese military affairs, U.S.-China relations, and strategic developments in East Asia.
He is the author or editor of several books on China and its military and his articles have appeared in journals such as The China Quarterly, Chinese Journal of International Politics, Asian Security, Asia Policy, Journal of Strategic Studies, and Joint Force Quarterly.
Prior to joining NDU, Dr. Wuthnow was a China analyst at CNA, a postdoctoral fellow in the China and the World Program at Princeton University, and a pre-doctoral fellow at The Brookings Institution.
Biography Credit: Georgetown University
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About the Author: Phillip C. Saunders
Dr. Phillip C. Saunders is the Director of the INSS Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs and a Distinguished Research Fellow at National Defense University. He is also an Adjunct Instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
He previously worked at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey from 1999-2003, where he directed the East Asia Nonproliferation Program in the Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and served as an officer in the United States Air Force from 1989-1993. Dr. Saunders received an A.B. in History from Harvard University and an M.P.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the Princeton School of International and Public Affairs.
Dr. Saunders is co-author with Joel Wuthnow of China’s Quest for Military Supremacy (Polity Books, 2025) and with David Gompert of The Paradox of Power: Sino-American Strategic Restraint in an Era of Vulnerability (NDU Press, 2011). He has edited nine books, including Crossing the Strait: China’s Military Prepares for War with Taiwan (NDU Press, 2022) and The PLA Beyond Borders: Chinese Military Operations in Regional and Global Context (NDU Press, 2021). Dr. Saunders also edits the INSS China Strategic Perspectives monograph series and co-authored recent monographs on China’s Military Diplomacy (June 2025) and Discerning the Drivers of China’s Nuclear Force Development: Models, Indicators, and Data (July 2023).
Biography Credit: Institute for National Strategic Studies
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À propos du livre :
La quête de la suprématie militaire par la Chine
par Joel Wuthnow et Phillip C. Saunders
Polity - 256 pages 32,99 $ (Kobo)
Date de publication : 10 mars 2025 |
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