China's Hawks in Command

The Chinese Communist Party has begun to pursue a more aggressive foreign policy over the past few years. To some extent this is to be expected as the country's economic and military clout grows substantially. But a key factor has so far been overlooked: The unprecedented influence of People's Liberation Army generals in the formulation of foreign policy.

Military officers in most countries are not allowed to speak in public about their countries' foreign or security policies. This was also true in China under former...