2015 Annual People's Liberation Army Conference

In March 2015, the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, and the U.S. Pacific Command jointly convened a conference of leading experts on the Chinese military in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

The conference theme, “Understanding the Chinese Way of War: Case Studies from Theory to Application,” examined how a model of Chinese military operation—what we call a “Chinese Way of War,” as developed from an examination of traditional Chinese strategic culture as well as PLA strategic and operational theory and doctrine—might be applied to a range of regional contingencies. Conference presentations analyzed what might be learned from an informed application of this evolving model to an existing or looming hotspot. Is conflict likely or possible? Are non-war means preferable? What will the PLA’s role be in shaping the context of the conflict?

The 2015 conference featured a keynote address by David Shear (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs) and special remarks by Andrew Yang (Senior Adviser, National Security Council, Presidential Office, R.O.C.).