News | Jan. 1, 2011

Getting Beyond Taiwan? Chinese Foreign Policy and PLA Modernization

By Michael A. Glosny Strategic Forum 261

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Key Points

  • Deeper rapprochement across the Taiwan Strait would remove a longstanding source of regional tension and the most likely source of war between the United States and China. 
  • Cross-strait rapprochement would also lead to new frictions and new worries among regional countries and the United States that a China no longer focused on Taiwan will use its increased power to challenge their interests elsewhere in Asia. 
  • Stabilizing the cross-strait political situation will free up resources previously devoted to military preparations for Taiwan contingencies and allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to undertake new missions and reassess priorities. 
  • The direction of PLA modernization can help alleviate or further exacerbate the concerns about a rising China that will become more powerful but also less constrained by Taiwan.

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