A Table for Two: Jiang Zemin and the PLA

Chinese leaders make many of their most sensitive decisions away from the confines of formal bodies, and top PLA officers are involved in these informal discussions. Jiang's relationships with the military as an organization, as well as with its individual leadership, are important determinants of Chinese posturing on a host of crucial issues. Although there are certainly personal and professional differences, PLA interests do not strongly diverge from those of Jiang and the civilian leadership; they need each other to accomplish their respective goals; and Jiang has performed well to establish his authority, retaining control over the military and decision-making process. Jiang's maneuvering to secure Vice President Hu Jintao's appointment to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the implications of the appointment for Hu's relations with the PLA, and Jiang's working relations with the PLA High Command are illustrative of this fact.