In 1978, faced with the pressure to modernize and a declining budget, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reluctantly agreed to join China's economic reform drive, expanding its internal economy to market-oriented civilian production. This work examines PLA's role in the economy up to 1998.

James C. Mulvenon

1: Introduction; 2: Historical Antecedents; 3: Origins: Players, Decisions, Documents; 4: Structure and Process; 5: Societal Consequences; 6: Countermeasures; 7: Divestiture