China has 1.48 mn troops minus missile forces: white paper

[selvan33]

China has 1.48 mn troops minus missile forces: white paper

Beijing: Disclosing its strength for the first time, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest active military, on Tuesday said its troops totalled 1.483 million, excluding its missiles division.

An annual white paper revealing the details of the 2.3 million strong PLA's actual number of troops in the army, navy and air force, omitted the number of personnel in its Strategic Command Division, the Second Artillery Force, which handled its nuclear and ballistic missiles.

Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujin who released the white paper on Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces at a media briefing skirted the question about the PLA's strength estimated to be about 2.3 million.



Defence analysts who scrutinised the document said here that 2.3 million is stated to be a realistic figure as the paper did not include the numbers of PLA's Second Artillery, the main missile unit of the Chinese military that comprises of large personnel and mobile missile units.

"These are highlights. The paper not only released certain figures of the strength of the mobile units of the army, navy and air force, it also provided in detail, policy and principles adhered to diversified employment which is not covered by previous white papers.

"This will help media to understand armed forces," Yang said.

According to the white paper, the eighth of its kind issued by the Chinese government since 1998, China now has about 8.5 lakh army servicemen in 18 combined corps and additional independent combined operational divisions (brigades).

The combined corps are composed of divisions and brigades which operate under seven Military Area Commands (MACs).

The PLA Navy has a total strength of 2.35 lakh and commands three fleets -- the Beihai Fleet, the Donghai Fleet and the Nanhai Fleet.

The PLA Air Force has about 3.98 lakh officers and men and an air command in each of the seven military area commands of Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. In addition, it boasts of one airborne corps.

The PLA Second Artillery Force, the country's core force for strategic deterrence, is composed of nuclear and conventional missile forces and operational support units, the paper said, without disclosing the numbers.

It is equipped with a series of 'Dong Feng' ballistic missiles and 'Chang Jian' cruise missiles, both long, medium and short range.

It also has under its command missile bases, training bases, specialised support units, academies and research institutions.

According to the document, China will build a strong national defence and powerful armed forces which are "commensurate with China's international standing and meet the needs of its security and development interests".

The paper also said China still faces multiple and complicated security threats and challenges.

Chinese armed forces are employed to safeguard borders, coastal and territorial air security and they will strengthen combat-readiness and combat-oriented exercises and drills, it said.

And they will readily respond to and resolutely deter any provocative action which undermines China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, it said.
China has 1.48 mn troops minus missile forces: White Paper

 

[BDforever]

China 'reveals army structure' in defence white paper

China has revealed the structure of its military units, in what state-run media describe as a first.

The army has a total of 850,000 officers, while the navy and air force have a strength of 235,000 and 398,000, China said in its defence white paper.

The paper also criticised the US's expanded military presence in the Asia Pacific, saying it had exacerbated regional tensions.

China's defence budget rose by 11.2% in 2012, exceeding $100bn (£65bn).

The defence white paper, which state media describe as China's 8th since 1998, emphasised China's "unshakable national commitment... to take the road of peaceful development".

However, it highlighted "multiple and complicated security threats" facing China, and China's need to protect its "national unification, territorial integrity and development interests".
'Strategic deterrence'

The white paper reveals details of China's military structure. According to state-run news agency Xinhua, this is the first time such information has been disclosed publicly.

Correspondents say this appears to be part of an effort, on the part of the Chinese military, to become more transparent.

The territorial army has 18 combined corps in seven military area commands: Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Lanzhou, and Jinan.

The air force has 398,000 officers and an air command in the same seven military areas, while the navy commands three fleets: the Beihai Fleet, the Donghai Fleet and the Nanhai Fleet, the paper said.

The paper also describes the role of China's second artillery force, which contains China's nuclear and conventional missile forces.

The force is crucial to China's "strategic deterrence", and is "primarily responsible for deterring other countries from using nuclear weapons against China, and carrying out nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles," the paper said.

source: BBC News - China 'reveals army structure' in defence white paper

 

[Fsjal]

Wow, China's PLA is smaller than expected, but then again, the Second Artillery Corp is massive.

 

[qwerrty]

Wow, China's PLA is smaller than expected, but then again, the Second Artillery Corp is massive.

that's very unrealistic guesstimate number the max probably around 100k~

 

[474474]

The thing is, China can afford this and even more - while you guys are living beyond your means.

 

[qwerrty]

they cut down a lot since the second iraq war. they were realy shocked at how effective americans were with small number at the time. this is very good. more money for training and and better weapons..

 

[UKBengali]

It used to be 3 million troops a couple of decades ago.

I cannot see it really going down much lower as China needs a large army to counter countries like Russia, India and Vietnam

 

[FarazUSA]

It used to be 3 million troops a couple of decades ago.

I cannot see it really going down much lower as China needs a large army to counter countries like Russia, India and Vietnam

The numbers don't matter so much these days. The soldiers should be well equipped. Look at France, even with a relatively smaller army they are able to fight so far away from their land.

 

[Silverblaze]

The numbers don't matter so much these days. The soldiers should be well equipped. Look at France, even with a relatively smaller army they are able to fight so far away from their land.

Very well said, but it is still the norm that there is strength in numbers.

 

[UKBengali]

The numbers don't matter so much these days. The soldiers should be well equipped. Look at France, even with a relatively smaller army they are able to fight so far away from their land.

China is not the same as France.

China is many times larger than France in both land mass and population and also China has huge potential adversaries like Russia and India that are have well-equipped armies of around 1 million troops each.

1.5 million troops for 1.3 billion people is not too much really.

 

[Nisha]

China is not the same as France.

China is many times larger than France in both land mass and population and also China has huge potential adversaries like Russia and India that are have well-equipped armies of around 1 million troops each.

1.5 million troops for 1.3 billion people is not too much really.

Plz India and Russia are not potential adversaries only in your imagination.

 

[Ayush]

then india with 1.3 million troops will overtake them soon.

 

[UKBengali]

Plz India and Russia are not potential adversaries only in your imagination.

I used the word "potential" and not actual.

If countries like France can have around 100,000 troops for 60 million people, then 1.5 million is not too much for China's 1,300+ million people.

 

[Nisha]

I used the word "potential" and not actual.

If countries like France can have around 100,000 troops for 60 million people, then 1.5 million is not too much for China's 1,300+ million people.

Sry I missed that key word! I just we all lived in peace. Just imagine an Asia that allowed free travel from Pakistan to Vietnam? Its time for humanity to keep religion indoors and in our minds. That;s where it counts the most anyway

 

[xuxu1457]

The whole white paper: http://www.defence.pk/forums/chines...as-armed-forces-2013-defence-white-paper.html

PLA:850,000
PLAN:235,000
PLAF:398,000

PLASAF:110,000