China reduces army by half but increases size of navy, air force

[Kailash Kumar]

China reduces army by half but increases size of navy, air force

22 JANUARY 2019

The 2-million strong PLA, China's army, has cut the size of its ground forces by about 50 per cent but significantly boosted its navy and air force as part of an "unprecedented" strategic shift designed to transform the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a comprehensive modern force, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a state-run Xinhua report. Shanghai-based military analyst Ni Lexiong said the overhaul marked a significant strategic shift from having a homeland-based defensive force to one with the capacity to allow Beijing to flex its muscles beyond its national borders and to protect its interests overseas.

PLA ground forces taking part to Vostok 2018 exercise

In a feature report highlighting the "transformational changes" made by the PLA, Xinhua on 20 January said "this new data is unprecedented in the history of the PLA – the army now accounts for less than 50 per cent of the total number of PLA troops; almost half of our non-combatant units have been made redundant, and the number of officers in the PLA has been reduced by 30 per cent." In the old set-up, the PLA had too many officers. In this overhaul, all these officers must find new positions and adapt or they will be made redundant.

In the last few years, the PLA has downsized its military by retrenching 300,000 troops under the military reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping. But it still remained the world's largest army with two million personnel in the ranks.

The statement indicated that the four other branches of the PLA – the navy, air force, rocket force and strategic support force, which is responsible for areas such as cyberwarfare - now together make up more than half of the Chinese military, overtaking the army, which has traditionally been the dominant unit of the PLA.

The expansion of the navy in the past few years was massive as China now has one aircraft carrier, another undergoing trial and a third in making. Official media reports said China plans to have about five to six aircraft carriers. The PLA had no navy or air force until 1949 and the PLA Rocket Force, first known as 'the Second Artillery Corps', was founded in 1966. In 2013, the PLA had a total of 2.3-million servicemen, with only 235,000 in the navy and 398,000 in the air force, according to a 2013 defence white paper.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/ana...alf_but_increases_size_of_navy_air_force.html

 

[samsara]

China reduces army by half but increases size of navy, air force

22 JANUARY 2019

The 2-million strong PLA, China's army, has cut the size of its ground forces by about 50 per cent but significantly boosted its navy and air force as part of an "unprecedented" strategic shift designed to transform the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a comprehensive modern force, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a state-run Xinhua report. Shanghai-based military analyst Ni Lexiong said the overhaul marked a significant strategic shift from having a homeland-based defensive force to one with the capacity to allow Beijing to flex its muscles beyond its national borders and to protect its interests overseas.

PLA ground forces taking part to Vostok 2018 exercise

In a feature report highlighting the "transformational changes" made by the PLA, Xinhua on 20 January said "this new data is unprecedented in the history of the PLA – the army now accounts for less than 50 per cent of the total number of PLA troops; almost half of our non-combatant units have been made redundant, and the number of officers in the PLA has been reduced by 30 per cent." In the old set-up, the PLA had too many officers. In this overhaul, all these officers must find new positions and adapt or they will be made redundant.

In the last few years, the PLA has downsized its military by retrenching 300,000 troops under the military reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping. But it still remained the world's largest army with two million personnel in the ranks.

The statement indicated that the four other branches of the PLA – the navy, air force, rocket force and strategic support force, which is responsible for areas such as cyberwarfare - now together make up more than half of the Chinese military, overtaking the army, which has traditionally been the dominant unit of the PLA.

The expansion of the navy in the past few years was massive as China now has one aircraft carrier, another undergoing trial and a third in making. Official media reports said China plans to have about five to six aircraft carriers. The PLA had no navy or air force until 1949 and the PLA Rocket Force, first known as 'the Second Artillery Corps', was founded in 1966. In 2013, the PLA had a total of 2.3-million servicemen, with only 235,000 in the navy and 398,000 in the air force, according to a 2013 defence white paper.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/ana...alf_but_increases_size_of_navy_air_force.html

The original article at the South China Morning Post, along with some VIDEO CLIP can be found at below link. And look at the article's content, the one carried by the Army Recognition is merely a subset of the SCMP's one a rather terrible 'copy and paste' action by this Belgium media.

Military
Chinese army now makes up less than half of PLA’s strength as military aims to transform itself into modern fighting force

• State news agency says PLA has been cutting back on ground forces as part of ‘transformational change’ to military
• Number of officers and non-combatants also falls as part of ambitious restructuring of world’s largest armed forces

By Liu Zhen
Updated: Monday, 21 Jan, 2019 11:37pm

(… )
https://beta.scmp.com/news/china/mi...w-makes-less-half-plas-strength-military-aims

 

[PeaceGen]

The original article at the South China Morning Post, along with some VIDEO CLIP can be found at below link. And look at the article's content, the one carried by the Army Recognition is merely a subset of the SCMP's one a rather terrible 'copy and paste' action by this Belgium media.

Military
Chinese army now makes up less than half of PLA’s strength as military aims to transform itself into modern fighting force

• State news agency says PLA has been cutting back on ground forces as part of ‘transformational change’ to military
• Number of officers and non-combatants also falls as part of ambitious restructuring of world’s largest armed forces

By Liu Zhen
Updated: Monday, 21 Jan, 2019 11:37pm

(… )
https://beta.scmp.com/news/china/mi...w-makes-less-half-plas-strength-military-aims

that proves to me two things :
- that the Chinese (in the current Chinese leaderships at least), properly consider and calculate what their government needs as military means at any given point along the human time-line. so they're not likely to overspend or spend on the wrong topics that they feel matter most for China at such points.
- that they recognize they (the Chinese leaders currently at the helm of China) actually don't want or need to become the single largest and strongest military force on the planet.

 

[zectech]

China would be wise to develop a MANPAD for night defense. Look for the heat signature of the plane in the scope and fire at the target with the manpad. It may have to be battery powered.

If that is not possible, make small radar vehicles as support for the MANPADs, hook them up together and you can use the new MANPADs at night with radar.

 

[Figaro]

China reduces army by half but increases size of navy, air force

22 JANUARY 2019

The 2-million strong PLA, China's army, has cut the size of its ground forces by about 50 per cent but significantly boosted its navy and air force as part of an "unprecedented" strategic shift designed to transform the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a comprehensive modern force, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a state-run Xinhua report. Shanghai-based military analyst Ni Lexiong said the overhaul marked a significant strategic shift from having a homeland-based defensive force to one with the capacity to allow Beijing to flex its muscles beyond its national borders and to protect its interests overseas.

PLA ground forces taking part to Vostok 2018 exercise

In a feature report highlighting the "transformational changes" made by the PLA, Xinhua on 20 January said "this new data is unprecedented in the history of the PLA – the army now accounts for less than 50 per cent of the total number of PLA troops; almost half of our non-combatant units have been made redundant, and the number of officers in the PLA has been reduced by 30 per cent." In the old set-up, the PLA had too many officers. In this overhaul, all these officers must find new positions and adapt or they will be made redundant.

In the last few years, the PLA has downsized its military by retrenching 300,000 troops under the military reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping. But it still remained the world's largest army with two million personnel in the ranks.

The statement indicated that the four other branches of the PLA – the navy, air force, rocket force and strategic support force, which is responsible for areas such as cyberwarfare - now together make up more than half of the Chinese military, overtaking the army, which has traditionally been the dominant unit of the PLA.

The expansion of the navy in the past few years was massive as China now has one aircraft carrier, another undergoing trial and a third in making. Official media reports said China plans to have about five to six aircraft carriers. The PLA had no navy or air force until 1949 and the PLA Rocket Force, first known as 'the Second Artillery Corps', was founded in 1966. In 2013, the PLA had a total of 2.3-million servicemen, with only 235,000 in the navy and 398,000 in the air force, according to a 2013 defence white paper.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/ana...alf_but_increases_size_of_navy_air_force.html

The title is incorrect. The original report stated that the Chinese Army has been reduced to the point that it now accounts for less than half of overall personnel strength ... not that the Chinese Army size has been reduced by 50%.

 

[lcloo]

This is the most wise decision made. Cutting down several hundred thousands army personnel while at the same time acquire more high tech weapons, and expanding air force and navy will not require much increase in defence budget.

During the last 120 years, invasions of China came mainly from the seaward side. The Japanese invaded from the East China Sea and Yellow Sea, British and French invaded from South China Sea and East China sea, The US, Japan and six other European countries invaded from Yellow Sea.

And current tensions may see potential military conflicts in South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea. Thus priority on building up a strong navy and air force is only natural.

 

[beijingwalker]

There's no point to provide for hundreds of thousands of combat military personels during the peace time, it's a huge waste of money, China is still a communist country, she can mobilize millions overnight if needs be, for now, the less , the better.

 

[Super Falcon]

Army is only to hold the captured ground war is mostly fought by airforce and navy army is now a days less importance than airforce pakistan should understand our army takes much more when it has less role in war with india airforces of IAF and PAF in future dictate the winner