China military: ‘leaders’ lack of combat experience’ a drag on modernisation drive

PLA training guideline tries to close gap between today’s Chinese troops and the rapid move towards advanced weapons systems

Unlike Russian and American defence forces, China’s military has not seen real combat since the 1980s, leading to a lack of warfare knowledge

Reading Time:3 minutes

The ruling Communist Party wants the PLA to be modernised by 2027 and a world-class military by 2050 but training and a lack of combat experience are deemed key obstacles. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:00pm, 30 Nov 2020Updated: 7:12am, 1 Dec 2020

A lack of combat experience and knowledge of modern warfare at the top are hampering the Chinese military’s modernisation drive and ability to confront growing security challenges at home and abroad, analysts said.

The People’s Liberation Army, which has 2 million troops, had tried to learn from the US military in the past few decades, but experts said intrinsic faults and China’s political system were compounding problems with the modernisation push.

Over the last four years, the PLA has embarked on an unprecedented overhaul to transform the bulky military into a more nimble modern fighting force.

The ruling Communist Party wants the PLA to be a modernised force by 2027 and a world-class military by 2050.

But there are signs of some way to go in crucial joint operations, with the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) issuing new training guidelines in early November.

Details of the guidelines were not released but they are meant to foster integration between the various combat forces and the PLA’s advanced weapon systems.