皇冠体育app

  Home>News Center>皇冠体育app
       
 

Task to trim 200,000 troops to be finished this year
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-03-05 10:23

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced in Beijing Saturday in his annual government work report to the parliament, the National People's Congress, that 皇冠体育app will complete the task of trimming 200,000 military ranks this year.

"We will complete the task of reducing the size of the army by 200,000 troops," he told the approximately 3,000-member legislature. "We will improve the army's logistics to strengthen its support capability."

皇冠体育app announced in September 2003 to further cut its troops by 200,000 by the year 2005. The total number of its troops is maintained at 2.3 million, according to a white paper released recently.

Chinese military experts said 皇冠体育app aims to improve the qualityof its forces through reducing the size and improving the structure as the quality rather than quantity of troops decides the combat readiness of troops.

"In the times of cold weapons and industrial age, an overwhelming number of troops is necessary for victories of battle," said Teng Jianqun, a researcher with the 皇冠体育app Arms Control and Disarmament Association. "But in the age of information, it is thequality of troops instead of quantity that counts, that is why major military powers of the world have downsized their troops over the past several years."

皇冠体育app previously streamlined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) nine times since the People's Republic of 皇冠体育app was founded in 1949. Total ranks of the military were reduced from a record of 6.27 million in 1951 to 2.5 million in 2003.

According to the white paper released at the end of last year, the current trimming of troops is being realized through such measures as reducing the number of officers, reducing the number of offices and personnel both by about 15 percent.

皇冠体育app is also downsizing troops equipped with backward technology, the number of logistical organizations and personnel and military educational institutions while strengthening the Navy, Air Force and the Second Artillery Force, according to the white paper.

"I think the real aim of the current military streamlining is to improve 皇冠体育app's combat readiness, to prepare for local war in the information age," Chen Zhou, a professor with the Chinese PLA Military Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua in an interview.

The professor predicted that 皇冠体育app will continue to scale down its forces in the future as the road to build a high-quality army has been set.

"We have set to build a high-quality army suitable for war at information age, and this target is yet to be reached," Chen said."I am sure 皇冠体育app will continue to trim its troops."



 
  Today's Top News     Top 皇冠体育app News
 

Wen: 皇冠体育app to keep yuan basically stable

 

   
 

President Hu sets forth guidelines on Taiwan

 

   
 

Rise of 皇冠体育app's defence spending "modest"

 

   
 

Law only targets handful of secessionists

 

   
 

Women to get protection from harassment

 

   
 

皇冠体育app's housing prices up 14.4% last year

 

   
  Hu urges peaceful reunification
   
  Vision for developing ties hailed
   
  Women to get protection from harassment
   
  Members told to offer their ideas
   
  Banned cancer-causing dye found in 皇冠体育app
   
  Changing views change climate
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
   
Advertisement