Transformation is a continuous process, mainly through the foreseeable future threats, as well as in response to possible future threats, to create the most advanced technology. In addition, transformation needs continuous and progressive technology, streamlined or nascent organization, innovative work processes and modes of operation to help to establish sophisticated battlefield combat troops with rapid response and adaptation to the battlefield environment. Moreover, to have the ability to quickly organize a task force and the special capability of adapting to unexpected situation environments and to shape a capability for military competition and cooperation; thereby becoming a national defense advantage, as well as protecting asymmetric vulnerability.
The PLA's transformation is a continuous process. Since 2003, this has been shaped through the speech guidance of leaders, publication of important documents, updates of weaponry and equipments, changes of training mode and exercise subjects, participation in important international exercises and through training events. Under a foundation of not cutting overall military power and staff, the PLA has transformed smoothly in terms of military struggle preparations, and gradually transformed to conducting military struggle preparation and engaging in non-war military operations.
In 2005, Hu Jintao, then Chairman of the Central Military Commission addressed "three providings and a developing". The four headquarters of the PLA, major military units, and the Armed Police Force convened for theoretical study, mainly standing on the strategic level of the Communist party, state and army construction. The science of the PLA’s historical mission was summarized as "three providings and a developing". It also meant that the military should provide guarantees for consolidating the party’s ruling position, provide a strong security guarantee for maintaining a strategic opportunities period of national development, provide strong strategic support for safeguarding national interests, and develop an important role for maintaining world peace and promoting common development. At the end of 2005, Hu Jintao proposed that the PLA must engage in "diverse military tasks capability", which meant the PLA’s regular combat troops started to join the following tasks: international peacekeeping, demining, flood rescue, sea rescue, maintaining sovereignty, and anti-terrorism etc. and diverse military missions.
In order to respond to international demands on its military transparency, the Chinese mainland in 1995 published "China's Arms Control and Disarmament". Since 1998, it has published "Defense White Paper" once every two years; from the publication of “China's National Defense" in 1998 to "China's National Defense” in 2010. After the publication of "Arms Control and Disarmament" in 1995, another 11 publications were published, including "China's Non-Proliferation Policy and Measures" in 2003, "China's Endeavors for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation" in 2005 and "Defense White Paper: The Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces" in 2013. In this regard, Mainland China is not only responding to demands on its military transparency by the major powers, but also showing a stance that it will soon become a regional and responsible power.
According to the publication of exercise subjects and statistics, it showed that since 2004 the PLA made comprehensive tactical maneuvers with live ammunition exercises as their main mode of military training, and disposed of the previous exercises as demonstrations. Due to tactical exercises with live ammunition being high risk, it is a way to show, to some extent, its modernization of weapons and equipment and meticulous training of troops to the neighboring countries and major powers. Exercise subjects have been increasing or changing with the weaponry changes. Mainland China began its “Three Hits and Three Antis” strategy by using the traditional “millet plus rifles” in early stages, evolving to the "New Three Hits and Three Antis" in the late 1990s. In 2009, the annual military training instructions were “demanding all the armed forces and armed police forces,......to improve our armed forces’ in response to multiple security threats and to accomplish diverse military mission capability."
Cross-strait relations entered a new era after 2008. Mainland China is no longer to use leaders’ speeches to intimidate Taiwan, and is not to actively propagandize its military struggle against Taiwan through official media. Preparation of anti-access war is conducted continuously yet low-key in various exercises. The percentage of general combat training exercises conducted by different branches of the army were over half in 2004, thereafter more than sixty percent concentrated on exercises with foreign forces or military operations other than war. The PLA began cooperation with local governments to engage in anti-terrorism mission. The task forces were dispatched overseas and cooperated with foreign forces to perform peacekeeping, demining, medical, joint search and rescue, and other professional tasks. In the image of a responsible power, the PLA intends to get rid of the stigma of the Tiananmen Incident and become a civilized army. After many years of effort, the PLA's mission and image transformation has gradually taken shape.