The year 2027 marks the centenary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (APL) (representation)
Beijing:
The key conclave of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has just ended, finalized plans to build a fully modern army on par with the United States by 2027, according to media reports in Beijing.
By 2027, which marks the centenary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China will build a fully modern army, a goal that is in harmony with national strength and that will meet future national defense needs. , state- According to the Global Times newspaper, Chinese analysts said on Saturday.
The ruling CPC plenary session, headed by President Xi Jinping, which held a four-day meeting, adopted its proposals for formulating the 14th five-year plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and goals long term year 2035.
As the 14th Five-Year Plan envisions a massive overhaul of the country’s domestic market to boost consumption to reduce China’s dependence on shrinking export markets, Vision 2035 envisions a long-term plan, reflecting Xi’s development vision, including the military.
Politically, Xi’s Vision 2035 plan has sparked speculation that he could stay in power for the next 15 years.
Xi, 67, became the most powerful leader of the CCP after its founder Mao Zedong, serving as the CCP’s secretary general, army chief in addition to the presidency with the prospect of a life term.
A constitutional amendment in 2018 removed the president’s two-year term limit, which would allow Xi to remain in power for life. His second term as president is due to end in 2022.
According to the communique of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee released on Thursday, the country’s national defense capabilities and economic strength should be enhanced at the same time and achieve the century-old goal of building a modern army of by 2027.
The Xi-led meeting set a new goal of transforming the PLA into a modern military force by 2027, when China aims to build an army comparable to that of the United States, the South China Morning Post reported. based in Hong Kong.
With the centennial goal of building a modern army by 2027, China aims to develop the military with the ability to defend national sovereignty, to protect against security threats posed by hegemonism in the region of Western Pacific and to protect development interests abroad as China’s economic presence abroad grows, Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times.
“The centennial goal is consistent with national strength,” Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and television commentator, told the tabloid.
Hong Kong military analyst Song Zhongping told the Post that the new centennial goal can be interpreted as “making the PLA a leading modern force in the world, which can be on par with the military. American “.
Sunfei Wu, deputy director of Hong Kong’s Tianda Institute think tank, said it was the first time that Chinese leaders have included the military in such development goals. He said the target was primarily focused on Taiwan.
“Basically, the goal is to strengthen the ability of the PLA to match the US military by 2027, in order to effectively deter US military interference around the Taiwan Strait,” he said. .
Julian Gewirtz, senior researcher for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the inclusion of these longer-term goals was important, “although it’s hard to say that means Xi will rule permanently until -the”.
“It is important to note that this Plenum is not only discussing the next five-year plan”, he continued. “It is also about developing the vision for 2035, which encompasses greater technological autonomy and other economic and social development goals.
Why 2035? The easy answer is that it is halfway between the “ two centenary goals ” of 2021 and 2049.
“Whether or not Xi reigns until 2035, it provides a medium-term framework for ongoing actions, especially since the next few years are likely to remain very difficult for China,” he said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
