Beijing is preparing for a shake-up in the command ranks of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In recent years, Beijing has been implementing a large-scale military reform aimed at adjusting China’s military capabilities to the emerging geopolitical challenges.
The Chinese military is undergoing a massive reshuffle in the command ranks. Nearly 50 high-profile officers, including 18 generals, will soon step down, the South China Morning Post reported, citing military sources.
In particular, among the 18 generals to be relieved of their command is Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the PLA Joint Staff Department.
“The coming changes are aimed at promoting a new generation of officers, with veterans giving way to younger talent to take over the leadership,” according to the sources. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to optimize the effective forces of the Chinese military and increase its firepower by introducing new technologies in the defense sector.
Currently, China is on the verge of a technological breakthrough, paving the way for developing weapons and equipment for the so-called network-centric warfare which merges combat power with information technologies.
China’s arms imports data reveal that the Achilles’ heel of its defense industry is helicopters and missile defense. The Chinese ground forces are second to none, despite a large share of aging systems in service. China has the world’s largest tank (8,000-12,000 vehicles) and artillery (up to 30,000 units) forces.
First of all, China’s military build-up is dictated by its geopolitical goals, according to Vadim Kozyulin, a professor at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences. “Beijing is seeking to be the leading power in the Asia-Pacific region.
At the same time, China is building a highly mobile military force capable of projecting power around the globe,” Kozyulin told RT. Geopolitical Standoff
In recent years, the Chinese navy turned from a small fleet into a formidable force aimed at gaining dominance in the Pacific. In the 1990s, Beijing launched several projects of advanced submarines, destroyers, frigates and corvettes.
The Chinese naval aviation was also seriously modernized. In 2012, China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was commissioned. The ship was originally laid down as a Soviet multirole aircraft carrier under the name Riga and then Varyag.
China’s growing navy is a big concern for the US in the Pacific. In particular, China has territorial claims for the Spratly Islands, a rich in oil archipelago in the South China Sea. Beijing also opposes Washington’s military presence in the region, especially in Japan and South Korea.
China has made numerous attempts to demonstrate its dominance in the South China Sea. For example, on December 15, the Chinese rescue ship ASR-510 captured a drone vessel launched from the US oceanographic vessel USNS Bowditch. The incident took place in neutral waters and was soon settled via diplomatic channels.
US President-elect Donald Trump commented on the situation, saying that China “stole” the drone in what he described as an “unprecedented act.” Trump’s numerous critical remarks about China give an assumption that the new US presidential administration will regard China as one the principal rivals.
“China has nuclear weapons. It is a growing military power developing advanced technologies. Now, China is a real rival to the US. Moreover, there is a radical ideological difference between Beijing and Washington,” he pointed out.
In turn, military expert Vadim Soloviev underscored that currently there are no direct military threats to China. “There is the possibility of certain conflicts, stemming from China’s history, including in Taiwan and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Despite his statements, the reality is that Washington may recognize China’s dominance at least in the South China Sea,” Soloviev concluded.
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