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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

China’s marines put to extreme tests in drive for all-terrain troops

  • CCTV series shows personnel training in Himalayan winter and desert summer
  • The PLA aims to create small, nimble units that can operate in a range of conditions, analysts say

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The marine corps was the only wing of the People’s Liberation Army to be expanded during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s massive military overhaul. Photo: CCTV
Minnie Chan
The Chinese military’s expanded marine corps has stepped up training, with signs that the elite force has adopted some of the approach of its American counterpart, defence analysts said.

In footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV this week, members of the corps were shown training in a range of harsh environments, from the extreme cold of a Himalayan winter to the severe heat of a desert summer.

“Our training has to ensure we can fight in all conditions and manoeuvre quickly, whether it’s on land, on an island, in the air or underwater,” Xu Xiaofei, a 34-year-old marine armoured vehicle engineer, told CCTV.

02:33

Chinese troops in Russia as multinational military drills open in far east

Chinese troops in Russia as multinational military drills open in far east
The marine corps was the only wing of the People’s Liberation Army to be expanded during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s massive military overhaul. The reforms started in 2016 and were designed to turn the PLA into a modern, nimble combat force. In all, 300,000 troops were cut, reducing the armed forces to 2 million people.
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A military source close to the PLA said the marines had completed the original expansion programme and further growth could follow with the increased deployment of the Type 075 landing helicopter dock.

The Type 075 is one of the country’s biggest amphibious platforms and has a capacity for at least 30 attack helicopters and vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles, all operated by marines.

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The third Type 075 was launched in January last year, and started its maiden sea trials the following November.

Photos posted online show the vessel docked at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai and with the pennant number 33, indicating it is ready to join the navy.

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