If I have to list the top 10 military development, it would be (in no particular order)
1) Deng Xia Peng cutting off defence funds, forcing the PLA to get their heads out of Mao's butt hole.
2) The 1979 1st Sino-VN War which woke the PLA up,
3) The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan which showed the PLA's reliance on terrain didn't really stand a chance.
4) The Kuwait War which showed just how far behind the Chinese were.
5) General Cao Gangchun, a combat experienced gunner in the 1984 2nd Sino-VN War, who had the clout to get money and the management skills needed not to waste it (well, not as much, this is an army after all).
6) Brigadization - litterally chopping the fat out of division and forming a single brigade out of the Hero Regiment (ie, the shock regiment) and getting rid of the other other two half *** regiments that were not up to par.
7) War Zone Campaign - the 1st real attempt at a cohesive military doctrine since the People's War garbage.
8) A Great deal of R&D and not afraid to make mistakes. The Light Mechanized Regiment is the example. I see a whole lot of mistakes being made but the Chinese are learning in what not to do - which is far more important than learning what to do.
9) A real combined arms thinking. Currently, the LMR is a single battle group, the 1st time I've seen such a formation in the PLA. The battle group concept dates back to the Wehrmacht during WWII.
10) Patience. General Cao has stated that he needed 20 years just to produce the officer corps needed for a true modernization effort.