WORLD-CLASS FORCES
In December 2012, barely a month after he assumed the top post in the Party, Xi spoke of the need to build a strong military.
“To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must adhere to combining the building of a prosperous country with that of a strong military,” Xi said.
In 2016, the goal of building world-class armed forces was set.
“That goal, along with building a strong military, has been the overarching strategy of the CPC’S military development, reflecting the new circumstances it faces,” said Cao Yanzhong, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences of the PLA.
A road map to fully transform the PLA into a world-class military force by the mid-21st century was unveiled at the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017.
In December 2018, Xi described it as a strategic task in socialist modernization to build a fortified national defense and a strong military commensurate with China’s international standing and its security and development interests.