Political Legitimacy and the People’s Liberation Army

In this report, the authors analyze how transitions in the basis of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) political legitimacy--from revolutionary charisma through economic prosperity to national populism--have affected the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) development and performance. The authors also explore scenarios of how the CCP's legitimacy could evolve and what such changes could mean for the PLA and U.S. Department of Defense.