This book investigates the emergence, expansion, and eventual dissolution of the Chinese military-industrial business complex during the late twentieth century. Tai Ming Cheung, a specialist in Chinese defense and security affairs, utilizes a combination of economic analysis and political science frameworks to evaluate how the People's Liberation Army transitioned into a significant commercial actor. The work argues that the military's involvement in the economy was a direct consequence of shifting national priorities and internal institutional incentives, ultimately creating a complex web of civil-military dependencies that necessitated state intervention to dismantle.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational study for understanding the unique intersection of defense and commerce in post-Mao China. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous use of primary source data to document a volatile period in Chinese institutional history.