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China military warns reforms will be hard

Nasim || risingbd.com

Published: 05:53, 4 September 2015   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
China military warns reforms will be hard

Risingbd Desk: China`s military reforms will be difficult and risky as they require a fundamental change in thinking and could affect special interest groups, the armed forces official paper said on Friday following the announcement of a 300,000 troop cut.

President Xi Jinping unveiled the unexpected news of a reduction in the size of the armed forces on Thursday, at a military parade marking the end of World War Two.

The Defence Ministry said the cut, part of broader reforms to up-grade and further professionalize the military, would be basically completed by 2017.

The People`s Liberation Army Daily said in a lengthy commentary the success of deepening reform would decide the future of China`s ambitions to strengthen its forces.

The military has already been shaken by several high-level corruption scandals, as part of Xi`s sweeping campaign against deeply ingrained graft, as he seeks to make the military an effective fighting force.

The troop cut represents a little more than a tenth of the military`s 2.3 million strong forces.

It is the fourth time since the 1980s that China will be reducing its military numbers, as it speeds up an ambitious modernization program which has seen the development of stealth jets and anti-satellite missiles.

The focus of the cut will be on phasing out outdated equipment, simplifying administrative and non-combat roles and "adjusting and improving military structure", the ministry has said.

Source: agencies

risingbd/Dhaka/Sep 4, 2015/Nasim

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