By Cynthia A. Watson
Over the past decade, western militaries and governments have struggled with growing pressures to engage in and balance their responsibilities in “nation-building,” “peacekeeping operations” and other various non-combat tasks. At the same time, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been taking on an increasing number of such missions, described in the 2008 Defense White Paper as “Military Operations Other Than War” (MOOTWA). For China, so-called ”nation-building” operations can include peacekeeping, anti-piracy efforts, environmental disasters and societal unrest, while the PLA missions can also include traditional warfighting under informatized conditions. The MOOTWA efforts serve as evidence of Beijing’s increasing use of its armed forces as an instrument of statecraft, to achieve fundamental national security objectives and to enhance a deeper Chinese presence around the world. This enhanced role for its military helps the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership return China to a leading position in the international community.
