Thanks to National Chengchi University's Institute of International relations for having me at the United Front workshop. I'm glad to have had to opportunity to present new research on the nexus between CCP United Front and armed struggle, two of Mao's three magical weapons. 
To me, the nexus between UF work and armed struggle is underappreciated and understudied, at least in the contemporary context. And this nexus is becoming increasingly important for CCP’s international strategy.
This is because the CCP's power to influence elites and public opinion through both united front activities and military coercive activities have become much stronger in recent years along with its growing international footprint and strategic ambitions.
There are at least three dimensions to this nexus. First, influencing of elite deliberations in foreign countries on issues with significant security dimensions, such as on Taiwan or the South China Sea.
Second, the shaping of public opinion on a variety of issues through UF activities and through military coercion 军事威慑. Third, the civil-military fusion 军民融合, essentially, the party-state’s plan to leverage civilian and military sectors to complement each other...
...to push forward China’s national development and military modernisation at the same time. While there are little explicit and institutional linkages between the two systems, the Party’s UF system & military affairs/security systems, nevertheless, some of their activities...
...are increasingly overlapping, interacting, and reinforcing each other. And I think this needs to be highlighted because increasingly narrative, economic, technological and military competition are blurring into each other.
These activities can no longer be seen and dealt with as separate spheres of activities by either academics or policymakers.
