Top general brands PLA’s combat capabilities are fake

BEIJING: In a surprise development, a top Chinese military general has cast aspersions on the PLA’s much-publicised ‘real combat-oriented exercises’ as ‘fake combat capabilities’ at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered it to prepare for “maritime military struggles” to win wars.

The remarks by General He Weidong, the second-ranked vice-chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the three Armed Forces headed by Xi, during a discussion with a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation on Tuesday, according to minutes of the meeting made available to media.

Though it was just one line – Gen He called for a crackdown on ‘fake combat capabilities’ in the military -- military analysts say the remark by a top official in the backdrop of the recent purges carried out by Xi, questions the authenticity of the real-time combat exercises as insisted by Xi since he took over power in 2012-13 and the quality of the equipment, Hong Kongbased South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Saturday. Xi recently sacked Defence Minister

Chinese military is carrying out real-time drills splitting forces into two groups to test their combat skills

Gen Li Shangfu last year, which was followed by the removal of another nine senior generals, many of them from the key Rocket Force, which operates the country’s missile forces.

The Chinese military, at all levels, is carrying out real-time drills splitting forces into two groups to test their combat skills. Analysts say the message from Gen He, China’s number three military official, was “brief and ambiguous”, but could relate to the procurement of flawed equipment.