China’s Military Interventions: Patterns, Drivers, and Signposts

Great powers have frequently employed large, expeditionary military forces engaged in various operations abroad. As China has ascended in power, observers have debated whether the country might follow a similar path. China has undertaken two types of military interventions in its post-1949 history. The report’s authors assess which one of two patterns is likely to predominate in China’s future and how this pattern might change.