China Reduces PLA Size to 2 Million to Make Army Capable of Winning Modern Wars

Beijing, Mar 6: China has reduced the size of its 2.3-million People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to just two-million-strong force slashing three lakh troops in a bid to make the world’s largest arm

Beijing, Mar 6: China has reduced the size of its 2.3-million People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to just two-million-strong force slashing three lakh troops in a bid to make the world’s largest army a mightier force capable of winning modern wars. The reduction in the PLA size was announced by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in his annual work report to the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Monday.

Li Keqiang announced the military had completed its goal of reducing the size of the 2.3 million PLA to just two-million-strong force, downsizing three lakh non-battle personnel. The troop cut was announced by President Xi Jinping in 2015. PLA also announced last year that it would reduce its grounds troops to less than a million as part of Chinese military modernisation under which the navy has been given greater role to expand China s global influence. (ALSO READ: China Hikes Defence Budget to $175 billion, 3 times that of India’s)

“We will stick to Chinese path in strengthening our armed forces, advance all aspects of military training, war preparedness, and firmly and resolvedly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” Li reportedly said. He also said the military should function strictly under the command the ruling Communist Party and the Central Military Commission, (CMC) headed by President Xi. (ALSO READ: China Planning to Deploy Nuclear Submarines at Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to Surveillance Indian Navy)

The troops cut also came in the backdrop of massive anti-corruption drive carried out by Xi, who also heads the military, in which over 3,000 personnel including over 50 top Generals were removed and punished. Speaking to Global Times, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, said, “The military can allocate resources more efficiently and form a stronger battle capability. The key point will now be quality instead of quantity.”

“But that is an inevitable trend and the key to current military reform. The good ones will stay and the unqualified ones will leave,” he added. The PLA which was 4.5-million strong till 1980 was first resized to three million in 1985 and later to 2.3 million. (With PTI inputs)