Understanding China s Defense Acquisition System: Comparisons and Implications for the United States

Abstract

Project Summary This study examines how China goes about the building of its military power through the research, development, and acquisition of weapons and technologies. The country has made the development of an independent and robust defense acquisition system a key plank of its defense modernization efforts, but there has been little research on this topic. The study seeks to address this gap in the understanding of the Chinese defense acquisition system and place it in comparative perspective with the United States, as these two countries have recently become engaged in military technological competition with each other. This study examines key aspects of the evolution, current state, and long-term trends of China’s defense acquisition system: 1) how strategic and operational requirements are determined and the role they play in the acquisition process; 2) how China’s defense acquisition system is organized and operates; 3) the nature of the acquisition relationship between the Chinese military and defense industry; 4) prospects of success for reforms to make China’s centrally planned defense acquisition system more market-oriented and open; 5) examining and comparing the role played by civil-military integration in China and the United States; 6) analyzing the importance of foreign technology transfers for China’s defense acquisition system; and 7) comparing case studies of Chinese and U.S. weapons development programs, especially in the aviation and shipbuilding sectors.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Apr 21, 2016
Source ID
N002441610012

Entities

People

  • Tai Ming

Organizations

  • United States Navy
  • University of California, San Diego

Tags

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union