China’s rise is reshaping the global security situation in specific, and international politics in general. At the same time, Chinese domestic politics, governance systems and defence policy are undergoing significant churn. All of this is happening at a time when the Communist Party is increasingly tightening controls over access, information, academia, the media, the Internet and society in general. In other words, it has never been more important to understand the objectives of the Communist Party of China, the People’s Liberation Army, and the Central Military Commission, as well as the general structures of power, governance and security decision-making in the country.

‘China’s Defence in the New Era’ is an all-virtual course that is designed to equip those aspiring to study and analyse China’s military and security apparatus, from the basics. The course introduces the philosophy, structures and processes of the PLA, discusses military capabilities and the industrial complex that brought them about, and emphasises aspects of China’s security approach to India and Taiwan.

The course design makes it accessible to and useful for a range of individuals, including strategic affairs professionals and government officials, journalists, students of political science and international affairs, individuals working with China studies or with Chinese enterprises, and even those who are simply interested in learning more about the country’s military.