The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

As the People’s Liberation Army marks its 99th anniversary on August 1, one year from the deadline for its centenary goals, its evolution highlights the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the first part of a series, Liu Zhen examines how the PLA’s strategies have developed from guerrilla warfare to hi-tech conflict. In April 1932, Xi Zhongxun, 18, led the newly formed Fifth Detachment of the Red Army’s Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Force marching in the mountains in Yongshou...