NEW DELHI, Nov 29: The Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to have asked the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to recruit fresh hands to support the rapid modernisation of the armed forces to win the future wars. Besides being the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi also heads the Central Military Commission (CMC) as the president.
Strengthening the capabilities to fight and win should be the starting point and ultimate goal of military talent cultivation, Xi Jinping said, calling for “great efforts to improve military personnel’s scientific literacy and technological know-how to improve their ability to win modern wars.”
“He also urged accelerating the building of first-class military schools and training of first-class military personnel,” the Chinese media reported on Monday. Some Hong Kong-based media reported that the Chinese military has allocated resources for 300,000 troops for the frontline roles to encourage younger professionals to join the PLA.
The new allocation comes amid the ongoing Sino-India military friction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, which has plunged bilateral ties to their worst level in decades. The air force, the rocket (missile) force, and the strategic supporting force were among others which however enlarged with more forces, the report said.
“The PLA airborne troop units were upgraded from division-level to brigades, while the number of pilots was also increased to support more new-generation fighter jets like the J-20s, J-16s, J-10Cs,” the Chinese media quoted the country’s military sources as saying.
Xi Jinping’s goal is to turn the PLA into a modern fighting force by 2027, the PLA’s centennial, and a world-class military on a par with the United States by 2050. The report quoted a CPC publication as reporting that China has expanded its combat forces to adapt to changing risks – despite a years-long push to streamline the PLA.
(Manas Dasgupta)