New | China’s ground troops ‘still vital for defence and maintaining stability’ after People’s Liberation Army’s massive military overhaul
The PLA’s land forces, though expected to see more cuts than the navy and air force, remain essential as China deals with its complex geopolitical environment: general
China’s land forces are still important and essential, insists the chief of the People’s Liberation Army’s new land force command as the military undergoes an overhaul that puts heavier emphasis on the air force and navy.
In his first public remarks about the land forces since the reform, General Li Zuocheng told People’s Daily the belief that land battles were outdated was a misconception.
The ground force remained “essential” both for defending external aggression and maintaining internal stability, as the country faced myriad challenges from its complex geopolitical environment, he said.
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China had a long border and coastline to guard, Li said. It also had yet to fulfil “complete unification”, he said, in an allusion to Taiwan, which the mainland considers a renegade province to be retaken, by force, if necessary.
Building a modern ground force is a strategic focus in the military revamp. Beijing needed to downsize its troops, but it was wrong to think the ground force was “no longer useful”, Li said.
China officially launched two new PLA units and set up a separate command for ground units on New Year’s Eve.
The guideline also called for the setting up of an integrated command system that could operate both during war and peace time. Setting up a new land force command – which replaced the previous structure of four headquarters – would improve the army’s professionalism, according to the guideline.