THE “PEOPLE” IN THE PLA: RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION IN CHINA’S MILITARY

Aug 22, 2026

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The report examines how China’s People’s Liberation Army builds its “human infrastructure” through recruitment, education, and training. It synthesizes findings from a 2007 PLA colloquium, focusing on trends across decades, the evolution of officer and noncommissioned officer training, and the role of education systems in shaping personnel. Particular attention is given to technology and simulation in training, career progression policies, and efforts to cultivate “new-type military talent” for informationalized conditions and local-war requirements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages401

Reading Time16 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Introduction

Trends in Education and Training, 1924-2007: From Whampoa to Nanjing Polytechnic

“True is False, False is True, Virtual is Reality, Reality is Virtual”: Technology and Simulation in the Chinese Military Training Revolution

PLA Conscript and Noncommissioned Officer Individual Training

Building the Fighting Strength: PLA Officer Accession, Education, Training, and Utilization

Reforming the Officer Corps

PLA Career Progressions and Policies

Educating “New-Type Military Talent”: The PLA’s Command Colleges

The Cradle of Generals: Strategists, Commanders, and the PLA-National Defense University

Shaping China’s Next Generation of Military Leaders: For What Kind of Army?

About the Contributors

THE “PEOPLE” IN THE PLA: RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION IN CHINA’S MILITARY Roy Kamphausen Andrew Scobell Travis Tanner Editors September 2008 This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. As such, it is in the public domain, and under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code, Section 105, it may not be copyrighted. Visit our website for other free publication downloads [http://www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil/](http://www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil/) To rate this publication click here ***** The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. This report is cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited. ***** Comments pertaining to this report are invited and should be forwarded to: Director, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 122 Forbes Ave, Carlisle, PA 17013-5244. ***** All Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) publications are available on the SSI homepage for electronic dissemination. Hard copies of this report also may be ordered from our homepage. SSI’s homepage address [is: www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil](is: www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil). ***** The Strategic Studies Institute publishes a monthly e-mail newsletter to update the national security community on the research of our analysts, recent and forthcoming publications, and upcoming conferences sponsored by the Institute. Each newsletter also provides a strategic commentary by one of our research analysts. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please subscribe on our homepage at www.StrategicStudiesInstitute. [army.mil/newsletter/](army.mil/newsletter/) . ISBN 1-58487-354-X CONTENTS Foreword General John M. Shalikashvili, USA-Ret.................v 1. Introduction Roy Kamphausen, Andrew Scobell, and Travis Tanner .........................................................1 2. Trends in Education and Training, 1924-2007: From Whampoa to Nanjing Polytechnic Thomas J. Bickford .......................................................19 3. “True is False, False is True, Virtual is Reality, Reality is Virtual”: Technology and Simulation in the Chinese Military Training Revolution James Mulvenon...........................................................49 4. PLA Conscript and Noncommissioned Officer Individual Training Dennis J. Blasko............................................................99 5. Building the Fighting Strength: PLA Officer Accession, Education, Training, and Utilization John F. Corbett, Jr., Edward C. O’Dowd, and David D. Chen 139 6. Reforming the Officer Corps: Keeping the College Grads In, the Peasants Out, and the Incompetent Down Kristen Gunness and Fred Vellucci............................191 7. PLA Career Progressions and Policies Elizabeth Hague..........................................................233 8. Educating “New-Type Military Talent”: The PLA’s Command Colleges Nan Li.........................................................................291 9. The Cradle of Generals: Strategists, Commanders, and the PLA-National Defense University Paul H. B. Godwin.....................................................317 10. Shaping China’s Next Generation of Military Leaders: For What Kind of Army? Ellis Joffe.....................................................................353 About the Contributors ....................................................389 FOREWORD I am pleased that, for the second year in a row, the U.S. Army War College and The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) teamed up to convene the annual PLA colloquium. Over the years, this event has successfully increased understanding of China’s military and the multiple aspects of its ongoing modernization effort.

FAQs

What main topics does the report cover about the PLA?

It covers recruitment, officer and NCO education and training, technology-enabled training and simulation, personnel management, and related demographic and policy issues.

What is the significance of “new-type” officers and informationalized conditions in the report?

The report explains that the PLA’s modernization includes measures to develop officers capable of operating effectively in technologically advanced informationalized environments and meeting local-war requirements.

How does technology and simulation feature in PLA training according to the contents?

A dedicated chapter analyzes technology and simulation’s role in the PLA training revolution, linking these tools to changes in how training outcomes and realities are produced.

Aug 22, 2026

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