Reading about the PLA and how it works something very important to me stuck out. It was the idea that instead of being by itself, it is another wing of the political establishment of the PRC. A military run by a political party sounds crazy in theory but it also shows the idea of how China works. It shows just like in the book that being a party member is the most important commitment to the country. Fighting in the military also then makes you a party member. If you compare it to the US, sure the President is also the Commander in Chief but we do not expect the military to make political statements or be registered to a party. Our military’s ability to stay by itself allows the idea of military and politics to stay seperate. In China the idea of keeping the military loyal also allows them to have a watchful eye and never have to worry about a coup. In theory China’s military political design sounds crazy but it does make sense when you think about it when you look at China’s long history of instablility with warlords, rebellions, coups, etc.