Sea Control 595: China’s Command Revolution with Elsa Kania

Dr. Elsa Kanya’s dissertation maps the PLA’s command evolution from guerrilla roots to a modern, information‑centric force. Spanning 1975‑2025, she highlights a paradox: while the Communist Party insists on absolute political control, the PLA increasingly experiments with mission‑command concepts that grant lower‑level commanders decision latitude. This hybrid model—centralized strategic direction paired with tactical decentralization—challenges the conventional view that Chinese forces cannot execute flexible operations under party oversight.

The research details three intertwined reform streams. First, structural overhaul replaced legacy military regions with joint theater commands, creating permanent, war‑fighting headquarters that mirror wartime configurations. Second, a relentless push toward “informationization” and “intelligentization” embeds AI, network‑centric platforms, and human‑machine fusion into command processes. Third, the political work system has been modernized, producing dual‑capable cadres who blend ideological loyalty with professional competence. Together, these changes produce a command ecosystem that is both politically reliable and technologically sophisticated.

For U.S. and allied planners, Kanya’s findings demand a reassessment of PLA capabilities. The anti‑corruption campaign under Xi has stripped out entrenched patronage, fostering a more combat‑ready officer corps, yet lingering discipline issues remain. Understanding the PLA’s pragmatic balance of central control and decentralized execution is crucial for forecasting how China will conduct joint, multi‑domain operations—especially in contested areas like Taiwan. Recognizing these nuances equips policymakers to develop more calibrated deterrence strategies and to anticipate the PLA’s next doctrinal leaps.