Arguably, this resolve of being the sole “Son of Heaven” led to the Sino-Soviet split, and later, a brief border war between China and the Soviet Union was fought in 1969, as there can only be one Son of Heaven, not two. The latter was “considered a deity.” The people also needed to be willing to accept the authority of the “Son of Heaven” or Tianzi (Chinese: 天子) (pinyin: Tiānzǐ), which means ultimately a supreme personality that will guide the Chinese masses in times of peace and war. However, since the time of the Han dynasty, the military power of the Chinese people has always been intimately associated with the idea of living harmoniously within the realm of Heaven. Since the days of Sun Tzu, its military leadership has always been aware that to defeat an enemy at the nation’s gates, one must maintain a communal armed force, i.e., a military force which is an integral part of ordinary peoples’ lives. It also highlights that the renewed deployments of the PLA under a renewed doctrinal awakening and a strategic thought could have a great impact on its future operations.Ĭhina has a rich history dominated by traditions and prudent men. It concludes that the PLA has undergone massive structural reconfiguration and modernization in terms of material and doctrine.

It uses academic, journalistic, and Sino-American official sources in exploring the PLA’s restructuring and modernization. This article aims to briefly understand and analyse such structural reconfigurations and modernization plans. However, under President Xi Jinping, the PLA has undergone considerable restructuring and modernization. Following the theoretical underpinnings of China’s paramount leader Mao, today the PLA is a formidable force capable of conducting operations in every domain of war. Since its creation in 1927, time and again, the PLA has acted as an effective arm of the vanguard party in establishing and securing the Heaven. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its various branches carry the prudent legacy of its ancient history.

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