Xi vs. the Military

[Randy W]

in the SCMP

 

PLA officers make rare public show of disappointment at military budget increase

Xi Jinping showing army who’s boss: source

 

 

Military officers have taken the rare step of publicly registering disappointment at the increase in China’s defence budget.

Military figures and analysts said the “surprisingly low” budget increase indicated President Xi Jinping was not scared of offending senior military officials and was demonstrating his ability to control the army through economic means.

. . .

Xi, chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, announced in September that 300,000 mostly non-combat troops would be cut from the PLA – part of an effort to overhaul the world’s largest army into a streamlined, modern force.

. . .

“It was a smart move to launch the anti-graft campaign ahead of the troop reduction, because some supercilious senior military officials were scared after the downfall of so many big tigers,” a source said, adding that Xi wanted to show the army he was in control of their livelihoods.

. . .

Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Tong said Xi’s approach was “high risk”.

“He is giving the PLA more tasks, but on the other hand, he is offering them fewer resources,”.

“It’s possible such a move could backfire if Xi fails to push all the senior officials in the army to listen to him.”

 

[Randy W]

on People's Daliy Facebook

 

People's Daily, China added 4 new photos.

5 hrs ·

Innovation must strengthen combat capacity: Xi

BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged the military to turn cutting-edge military technology into real combat capacity.

A preemptive attitude toward military affairs is needed, Xi told national lawmakers from the military at the ongoing annual parliamentary session.‪#‎NPC‬ ‪#‎CPPCC‬

The armed forces must understand the role of leading technology and push research in this regard, Xi said.

Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, said strategies must be designed in line with advanced military technology.

The military should establish "unique advantages in some key fields," he said.

 

 

 

[Allon]

It was a necessary move to cut the military back while making it better. We did the same several times and the military adapted very well. Some hangnails but it worked. 300,000 is a big cut but a lot of non-combatants in China. You see them in their cammies going to school.

 

Not sure the Chinese mentality likes it though. If they are complaining it is because of guangxi, as the article points out. I know the anti-corruption campaign has hit my wife's family pretty hard in China. She worked for the government and she tells me a lot of friends are very worried. Her daughter and sin in law (now ex) lost their business. They could not afford the payments to the local police and had to change from a gambling enterprise to a car washing business. Fail.

 

Guangxi is so embeded in the culture.

[Randy W]

Both foreign policy and military matters fall under more than one ministry in the Chinese government, so the 'voice' is not as unified as that of other ministries.

 

For the 'cammies going to school', there is a one month required military training for ALL incoming freshmen at the start of the year. There also seem to be schools which use the camouflage patterns for their official uniforms, so it's not clear how much of that is actual military.