100 PLA officers study responses to chemical warfare
About 100 staff officers have completed 10 days of chemical warfare training as part of Beijing's efforts to upgrade the defence capability of the PLA.
The officers - belonging to different units under the command of the People's Liberation Army chief of staff - were trained by experts and professors from the National Defence University and research units specialising in chemical warfare.
They studied military theory and were drilled on the use of the Internet in battle and field training, the Liberation Army Daily reported yesterday.
The officers also focused their training on how to put together rapid-response units in the event of a chemical attack and studied anti-chemical warfare programmes run by armies in other countries. The report said the training was designed to prepare Chinese soldiers to 'win future battles fought with the use of advanced technology'.
Alarmed by the rise of state-of-the-art gadgets and missiles used by the US during the Gulf War in 1991, China's top brass have significantly stepped up the modernisation of the PLA, particularly in mastering technology.
Senior generals were also concerned about the overall military strength of the army and called for more training in areas such as logistics and communications.
