I am pleased that, for the second year in a row, the U.S. Army War
College and The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) teamed up to
convene the annual PLA colloquium. Over the years, this event has
successfully increased understanding of China's military and the
multiple aspects of its ongoing modernization effort. Last year was no
exception. On September 28, 2007, under the joint leadership of the U.S.
Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute and NBR's Pyle Center for
Northeast Asian Studies, approximately 70 leading experts on the
People's Liberation Army (PLA) convened at Carlisle Barracks, PA, for a
2-day discussion on the Chinese military's human infrastructure.
Presentations and discussions at the conference focused on identifying
trends in recruitment, education, training, personnel management, and
demographics within the PLA.