Explaining military reforms under Xi Jinping: military effectiveness, power consolidation, and party-military relations in China

ABSTRACT This article aims to take a fresh look at the relationship between party and military institutions in China by focusing on military reforms pursued under Xi Jinping. Concretely, this article attempts to answer the following questions: (1) How have party-military relations evolved during the reform era and how do scholars conceptualize this development?; (2) What distinguishes Xi’s military reforms from previous efforts made by his predecessors?; and (3) What do the processes and outcomes of the reforms suggest about the state of party-military relations and its future trajectory? This analysis shows that China’s party-military relationship during the reform era has exhibited remarkable stability, but the stability has only been achieved by granting the military substantial autonomy in the management of military affairs, creating a relationship often conceptualized as “conditional compliance.” Along the way, the accumulation of negative trends in the security environment and the perceived lack of military readiness have urged the party leadership to carry out organizational reforms to the military. The sweeping implementation of military reforms under Xi, however, has had a limited effect on party-military relations, leaving the party control over the military compromised rather than reinforced.