PLA urged to modernize theories, organization, weapons for 2027 centennial goal
The Chinese military was urged to modernize military theories, organizations, personnel and weapons and equipment in order to reach its centennial goal by 2027 recently set by the Communist Party of China ( CPC) Central Committee, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.
It marked the first time that the country’s defense ministry explained the goal after it was unveiled in the country’s new development plan for the next five and 15 years approved at a key Party meeting in late October and a new military outline released in early this month stressed design on future warfare.
The development goal aims to enhance the Chinese military’s strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interest, and gives a strategic lead to reach phased goals in the national defense and military modernization, said Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a Defense Ministry spokesperson, at a regular press conference.
To achieve the goal, the Chinese military should accelerate the integrated development of mechanization, informatization and intelligentization, while boosting the speed of modernization in military theories, organizations, personnel and weapons and equipment, Ren said.
Quality and effectiveness must be prioritized, and the development of strength of national defense and economy should go together, Ren said, noting that while China has become the second largest economy in the world, its national defense capability does not match this, nor can it adapt to China’s international position and strategic security needs.
China’s military theories and organizations will see rapid advances amid the military reform, which is systematically changing the Chinese military into a force that can fight wars and win them in a new era by not only referring to other countries’ experiences, but also through innovation and preemptive designs on future warfare, a military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Thursday.