Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

In the discourse of the debate on the China threat theory versus China’s peaceful rise theory, the strategic role of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may be crucial to explain the passive military posture of China with its unmatching political language. The core interest of this research is to prove the passive-aggressive thesis, that China as a newly emerged great power has a unique posture or attitude regarding its military. This research raises three questions: firstly, why has China not fought a war since 1979? More specifically, in what context could China’s military behaviour been categorised and conceptualised – passive action and aggressive language? Secondly, why is China’s military posture unmatching with its political language – passive in military action yet verbally aggressive? Thirdly, how does the passive-aggressive posture of China fit into the rise of China debate? This research will review the evolution of the PLA as an institution, its different elements, its intrinsic link with the party, and relating its evolution in recent years towards an entity led by its domestic responsibility to maintain regime stability by focusing on securing social stability and economic development, something which frames its international posture. It will argue that in fact, China is an ambiguous power, one whose actions can be categorised and conceptualised in the context of passive-aggressive strategic features, from the realist perspective. How to conceptualise and describe, this thesis will fill that gap by constructing the passive-aggressive model by combining the realist framework with the traditional Chinese strategic thinking.