From Mao to now: why China’s Communist Party is intent on control over the military

Having marked its 99th anniversary on August 1, the People’s Liberation Army is now just one year away from its centenary goals, with its evolution highlighting the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the third part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng examine how Beijing leans on Mao-era doctrines and anti-corruption drives to guarantee absolute party control over the armed forces. In December 1929, then Communist revolutionary Mao Zedong led a pivotal meeting in...