I can't say if the author has anything useful to say about the Chinese militia, but as I skimmed through it, this section where he describes the American National Guard is so wrong that it leads me to question his abilities to accurately portray the Chinese militia:
It is well known that the Chinese spend a great deal of time and money studying open source US military strategy, training, and organization. It is likely that Chinese policy makers are modeling the militia, and more so the Primary militia, on the US National Guard. The National Guard is given training throughout the year in small amounts, and recruits are given longer training for technical and more advanced branches. It is not intended to fight overseas but to protect the US, and is often called up to help in rescue and recovery efforts during natural disasters. It is called in to provide security in times of crisis such as after 9/11, rather then the Army or Marines. And it also has played law enforcement roles during and after times of crisis such as in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. It is possible that Chinese policy makers see the Primary militia and militia as a whole as a force that can provide similar roles as the National Guard does in the US. [emphasis added]
The author, who majored in Asian studies and economics, needs to study our open source material on our National Guard, which provides virtually the only reserve combat units for our active Army, and whose air and army components serve overseas routinely in combat and support missions.
While the National Guard is surely designed to protect America, its members would be shocked to find they don't do it overseas.
I know so little about this Chinese militia topic that I don't think I could judge whether he is getting it right or wrong. And whether the Chinese are modeling it on a non-existent National Guard over here.
I won't even read it. So I leave it to others to evaluate the author's work on the Chinese militia.
