How do they serve in the Chinese army. The Chinese army is the largest army in the world. Does China want world domination?

The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, the largest army in the world (2,250,000 people in active service). Founded on August 1, 1927 as a result of the Nanchang Uprising as the communist "Red Army", under the leadership of Mao Zedong during the Chinese Civil War (1930s) organized large raids (the Long March of the Chinese Communists), after the proclamation of the PRC in 1949 - the regular army of this states.

Legislation provides for military service for men from the age of 18; volunteers are accepted until the age of 49. Due to the large population of the country and the sufficient number of volunteers, the call was never made. In wartime, theoretically, up to 300 million people can be mobilized.

The PLA does not report directly to the party or the government, but to two special Central Military Commissions - state and party. Usually these commissions are identical in composition, and the term TsVK is used in the singular. The post of chairman of the CEC is a key one for the entire state. In recent years, it usually belongs to the Chairman of the PRC, but in the 1980s, for example, the CEC was headed by Deng Xiaoping, who was actually the leader of the country (formally, he was never the Chairman of the PRC or the Premier of the State Council of the PRC, and the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party occupied earlier, even under Mao before the "cultural revolution").

The naval forces of the People's Republic of China number 250,000 and are organized into three: the North Sea Fleet headquartered in Qingdao, the East Sea Fleet headquartered in Ningbo, and the South Sea Fleet headquartered in Zhanjiang. Each fleet includes surface ships, submarines, navies, coastal defense units, and marines.

General information:
Minimum military recruitment age: 19 years old
Available military workforce: 5,883,828
Full military personnel: 1,965,000
on the front line: 290,000
reserve forces: 1,653,000
paramilitary: 22,000
Annual military expenditure: $10,500,000,000
Available purchasing power: $690,100,000,000
Reported gold reserves: $282,900,000,000
Total workforce: 10,780,000

Units
Aircraft: 916
Armored cars: 2,819
Artillery systems: 2,040
Missile protection systems: 1,499
Infantry support systems: 1,400
Naval units: 97
Merchant Sea Strength: 102
Presence of nuclear weapons: no

Territories suitable for hostilities
Serviceable airports: 41
Railways: 2,502 km
Serviceable highways: 37,299 km
Main ports and harbours: 3
Total territory of the country: 35,980 km²

other information:
The Chinese army at the beginning of the XXI century

Almost seventy-four years ago, on August 1, 1927, Chinese revolutionaries, among whom was the famous Zhou Enlai, who later became the first Premier of the State Administrative Council of the PRC, raised an uprising in Nanchang (Jiangxi Province) against the "northern" government that existed at that time in China.

More than 20,000 armed fighters under the leadership of the Communist Party of China expressed their disagreement with the existing regime in this way, thus initiating the armed struggle of the Chinese people against external and internal enemies. On July 11, 1933, the Provisional Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic decided to celebrate August 1 as the day of the formation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Later, this day became known as the date of birth of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).

This is one of the few public holidays that originated long before the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and today is one of the most revered and widely celebrated in the PRC and the Chinese people.

Readers of the "Asian Library" will learn about what the Chinese army is today, what it consists of, how it is characterized and what prospects for the further defense construction of our great neighboring state from this article, written based on materials from the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian and foreign press.

According to the National Defense Law of the People's Republic of China adopted in March 1997, the PLA and the reserve troops, together with the people's armed police (PAP) and the people's militias, constitute the "triune system" of the Chinese armed forces.

Today, the People's Liberation Army of China has been significantly reduced and has about 2.8 million people. It has all the components of a modern army, including the air force, navy, and other troops armed with not only conventional weapons, but also intercontinental missiles and modern nuclear weapons.

The strategic nuclear forces include land, air and sea components and have a total of 167 nuclear weapon carriers. They are based on the strategic missile forces, which are armed with 75 ground-based ballistic missile launchers. Strategic aviation has 80 Hun-6 aircraft (created on the basis of the Tu-16). The maritime component includes a nuclear-powered missile submarine with 12 Julang-1 missile launchers.

The ground forces number 2.2 million servicemen and consist of 89 combined arms divisions of the field forces (including 3 divisions of "rapid reaction" and 11 tank divisions), most of which have been consolidated into 24 combined arms armies.

The air force has about 4,000 combat aircraft, mostly of obsolete types, and is designed mainly for air defense tasks and, to a lesser extent, for supporting ground forces. They are dominated by fighter aviation, which accounts for about 75% of the aircraft fleet.

The navy has about 100 large warships and 600 combat aircraft and naval aviation helicopters. To protect the coast, there are about 900 patrol ships capable of operating only in the coastal zone. The Chinese Navy does not yet have aircraft-carrying cruisers. For operations under water, there are about 50 Kilo-class diesel submarines in service.

In the 90s. The combat composition of the PLA has not undergone significant changes, which is explained by the attention of the country's leadership, primarily to the problems of restructuring the research complex and the defense industry. At the same time, the number of military equipment in the army and navy was somewhat reduced due to the removal of the most obsolete models from service.

Modernization of the PLA at the present stage is carried out at a slow pace and is selective. The greatest efforts are being made to modernize the strategic nuclear forces by replacing obsolete liquid-propellant missiles with more advanced solid-propellant ones Dongfeng-41 and Juilang-2.

Recently, another direction has also been developed - the creation, on the basis of existing formations, of mobile forces of the PLA, designed to operate in local conflicts along the perimeter of the state border, as well as to support the people's armed police in ensuring internal security and public order. The number of this developing component is about 250 thousand people (9% of the ground forces), in the near future it is expected to include attack aircraft and part of the fleet forces in its composition. By 2010, mobile forces may include up to one third of the PLA (about 800 thousand people).

Along with the development of new types of conventional weapons, in particular the main combat type 90-11 and the Jian-10 (P-10) multirole fighter, steps are being taken to overcome China's lag behind militarily advanced countries in the field of precision weapons. The Chinese military leadership believes that this type of weapon has recently been actively proving its effectiveness. The widespread use of high-precision weapons during the recent NATO aggression in the Balkans, despite a number of misses (or specially planned actions) that led to the tragedy at the PRC Embassy in Yugoslavia, which killed 3 Chinese citizens, testifies to its high combat effectiveness.

The Americans cannot accept the fact that in the person of the PRC they are acquiring another powerful competitor in the field of precision weapons. In 1997, the US Secretary of Defense report on China's military strategy expressed concern about the progress of work on the creation of a Chinese cruise missile, which could enter service in 2010. The US is also angry that in the foreseeable future, China may cease to be one of the potential US nuclear targets, since in 1996 Beijing began developing its own missile defense system, which is also scheduled to be completed in the design version by 2005-2010.

According to Chinese experts, the technical equipment of China's defense industry lags behind the advanced level by more than 15 years. In order to overcome this gap as soon as possible and solve the problems of defense modernization, the leadership of the PRC decided to resume military-technical cooperation with Russia. Today it is carried out on a long-term contractual basis in the context of developing relations of equal and trusting partnership between the two countries and covers such areas as military science, high technologies (including dual-use), space, and communications. China received the opportunity to purchase Russian military equipment, train military-technical specialists in Russia, and implement joint projects to develop, modernize and repair weapons. Such steps by China undoubtedly contribute to solving the most urgent problems of modernizing the PLA.

In recent years, China has purchased large quantities of military equipment from Russia; a license was acquired for the production of Russian Su-27 fighters (without the right to export to third countries), an agreement was signed on the repair of Chinese diesel submarines at Russian enterprises.

An analysis of Chinese doctrinal views and trends in defense construction in the current decade shows that China intends to continue the modernization of the military-industrial complex and the armed forces, considering these measures as a guarantee of external and internal security and a necessary condition for the successful economic and social development of the country.

The main trends in the field of defense construction of the PRC

The main trends in the field of defense construction of the PRC are formed under the influence of new moments in doctrinal views that have replaced the previous concept of preparing the country for a global war. Chief among them is the thesis that a new world war is hardly possible in the foreseeable future, since today there are opportunities to ensure a peaceful international situation for a relatively long period. At the same time, according to Chinese estimates, the stereotypes of Cold War thinking and politics from a position of strength have not been eliminated from the practice of international relations, as evidenced by the humanitarian catastrophe in the Balkans that erupted in April-June 1999 through the fault of the United States and NATO. The roles of countries and the balance of power in world politics do not have a constant configuration and, under certain conditions, can change in a direction unfavorable for China. Therefore, at the turn of the century, the country's leadership considers it important to turn China into a state with powerful armed forces capable of effectively protecting the country from external threats. This is largely due to the experience of relations with the West in the last century, when China, which has a high culture, but is weak militarily, subjected to intrigues and outright robbery by Western countries, experienced national humiliation and fell into semi-colonial dependence on them.

In this regard, as follows from official statements, in particular from the "White Paper" on national defense issues recently published by the State Council of the PRC, the main content of the PRC's policy in the field of military development is to strengthen defense, counter aggression and armed subversive activities, ensure state sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the country. At the same time, it is emphasized that the PRC cannot be a source of aggression and will never and under no circumstances be the first to use nuclear weapons.

At the turn of the century, the prevailing trend in the field of military construction of the PRC was the improvement of the qualitative parameters of the defense potential while reducing the number of the PLA. The country's leadership puts forward a demand to strengthen the army at the expense of science and technology, to strengthen research of defense significance, to create and improve a mechanism for the defense industry that meets the conditions of a market economy, and to gradually upgrade weapons and equipment.

The armed forces are faced with the task of increasing the possibility of conducting combat operations in the event of sudden changes in the situation in the conditions of using modern technology, including high technologies.

One of the important trends in China's defense construction is the further reduction in the size of the PLA. In addition to the reduction by 1 million people announced in 1985, China in 1997 announced its intention to carry out a new reduction of this component by 500 thousand people by 2001 - from 3 million to 2.5 million people. The reduction is mainly in the ground forces (by 19%) and, to a lesser extent, the air and naval forces (by 11.6% and 11%, respectively). It is important to emphasize that this process is accompanied by measures to strengthen the People's Armed Police, whose strength is planned to increase from 1 million to 2 million by the year 2000.

China's nuclear strategy, which has pledged not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, is reflected in the concept of "limited nuclear retaliation." It involves the construction of nuclear deterrence forces capable of creating a threat of inflicting unacceptable damage to force a potential adversary to abandon the use of nuclear weapons against China. This approach does not focus on achieving nuclear parity with developed countries, and therefore is rational from the point of view of saving material and financial resources.

The formation of views on the construction of general-purpose forces takes place on the basis of an analysis of major armed conflicts that have taken place in the current decade. The evolution of views in this area has led to the adoption of the concepts of "rapid response" and "limited warfare under the conditions of the use of high technologies", which involve the creation of relatively compact armed forces equipped with modern equipment and weapons and capable of immediately performing combat missions in local conflicts. Accordingly, the PLA's mobile forces have been developed in the Chinese armed forces and special emphasis has been placed on the development of various military electronic systems, including early warning and warning systems, communications, command and control of troops and weapons, and electronic warfare.

According to Chinese statistics, China's defense spending in 2000 was about $10 billion and is one of the lowest in the world. Their share in the gross national product of the PRC does not exceed 1.5% (1995) and tends to decrease: in 1999 this figure was 1.1%.

However, skeptics believe that the official figures only reflect spending by the Ministry of Defense and do not take into account the appropriations for military needs provided for in the budgets of other departments and institutions. In addition, some Western scholars believe that part of the cost of maintaining military garrisons, local troops and the reserve is financed from the budgets of the provinces, and not from the central budget. With this in mind, China's real military spending is estimated by them as exceeding the official one. For example, the Japanese claim that the actual defense spending in the PRC in 199 amounted to about 30 billion dollars.

Be that as it may, it is quite obvious that, taking into account the objective need to modernize the defense complex, the foundations of which were formed in the 50-60s, the huge population of the country (more than 1.2 billion people), the vast area of ​​​​the territory and the length of land and maritime borders, the military spending of the PRC does not exceed the level corresponding to the principle of defense sufficiency. For comparison, in 2000 Japan's military spending was about 48; Great Britain - 38; Germany - 40; France - 47; USA - 290 billion dollars. That's who needs to take care of reducing their militaristic appetites!

The construction of the Chinese army in the 21st century is likely to be influenced by a number of external and internal factors that generally have a restraining effect on the financing of military spending.

External factors are characterized by the normalization of China's relations with neighboring countries and the world's major powers. A special place among them is occupied by the dynamically developing Russian-Chinese relations of equal partnership aimed at strategic interaction in the 21st century. China's growing integration into the world economy is gaining serious significance here as one of the necessary conditions for successful economic construction in this country.

Of the internal factors, the priority attention of the PRC leadership to ensuring domestic political stability in the state and solving complex socio-economic problems in the face of a shortage of natural resources and certain demographic and environmental tensions should be highlighted.

China's significant successes in the economic, political, social and other spheres, in addition to obvious dividends, brought it an unforeseen threat, namely, it gave rise to fears in the world, and in our country as well, related to China's alleged departure from commitment to peace and good neighborliness. As a result of a misunderstanding or deliberate distortion of China's military intentions, the thesis about the "Chinese threat" has appeared, periodically inflated in both Western and Russian media.

China deeply regrets that publications appear abroad that show a misunderstanding of Chinese foreign policy and defense construction. Their essence boils down to the following accusations:

1) after the reduction of Russian and American troops in the Asia-Pacific region (APR), China is trying to fill the resulting power vacuum;

2) China is going to become a military and economic superpower in the region;

3) with its purchases of modern types of weapons from Russia, the PRC is responsible for the arms race in the region;

4) China is just waiting to pump up its military muscles as quickly as possible and strike at neighboring countries, and even the United States.

Chinese experts refute these accusations, citing data on the number of weapons (including nuclear ones) of Russia and the United States in the region. In their opinion, they exceed the armaments of China. PRC scientists say that although Russia and the US have reduced armaments, these countries still have the strongest armies in the Asia-Pacific region, and therefore there is no "power vacuum" here, since the US and Russia did not leave it.

Refuting another accusation, the leaders and scientists of the PRC argue that China does not intend to seek hegemony and political diktat in the world, and even after becoming a sufficiently strong state, it will not strive for this.

As for the next accusation, Chinese experts believe that military modernization that meets the needs of modern defense is a huge problem for China, since the current state and level of the PLA is inferior in many respects to the armies of neighboring powers. In their opinion, China's military spending is less than the defense spending of even a country like South Korea and an economic entity like Taiwan.

There is a considerable amount of truth in these judgments. The second half of the 1980s and 1990s are characterized by the fact that internal threats worry China much more often and are sometimes more dangerous than external ones. For 20 years now, China has been focusing inward on vital reforms. For the Chinese leadership, the primary problems are internal, which interfere with the normal functioning of the state and pose serious threats to its existence. Social, economic, political, environmental problems carry a huge potential for creating serious crisis situations, which makes the security and stability of the country vulnerable.

Consequently, to create additional external problems for oneself means to be distracted from internal ones, and this would be contrary to the logic of Chinese reforms.

The foregoing gives reason to believe that at the beginning of the 21st century the Chinese army will not attack Russia or any other country. It is also highly doubtful that the PLA will ever forcibly invade its Taiwanese province, despite the statements of the PRC leadership at the end of the last century that they do not exclude violent actions against Taiwan if its leadership (which, by the way, left the political scene after recent political elections on the island) will disrupt the process of unification of the Chinese nation by its provocations.

It simply does not make sense for China to carry out armed aggression against Taiwan, since the latter is de facto already moving into the bosom of mainland China. Taiwan's investment in the mainland now amounts to tens of billions of dollars a year, and the business of leading Taiwanese corporations in the PRC is expanding at a cruising pace and acquiring gigantic proportions. Does it make sense to chop down a hen that sits on its own nest to lay golden eggs?

All activities of the PLA are determined today based on the principle of defense sufficiency. And those "specialists" who, drawing a bloody monster from China and its army, are trying to intimidate people and prevent the inevitable strengthening of Russian-Chinese cooperation, I would like to recall a good Russian proverb: "The thief shouts the loudest:" Stop the thief ""!

In 2014, the country's spending on defense increased by 12% and amounted to 808.2 billion yuan ($132 billion). The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) remains the largest in the world, with 1,500,000 personnel and more than 3,250,000 reservists.

What is in service with the PLA today, see the AiF.ru infographic.

Infographics: AiF

The Chinese military-industrial complex employs 24 enterprises of the nuclear industry, 12 companies in the rocket and space industry, nine aircraft factories, 14 factories for the production of armored vehicles, 20 enterprises for the assembly of artillery equipment, more than 200 factories for the production of ammunition and 23 large shipyards.

Ground troops

The PRC ground forces include the following types of troops: infantry, armored troops, artillery, military air defense, airborne, engineering, chemical, reconnaissance, communications and automobile troops, and border troops.

In service with the ground forces of the PLA are:

• tanks - 9150 units;
• combat armored vehicles (AFVs) - 6600 units;
• self-propelled howitzers - 1200 units;
• mortars - about 10,000 units;
• multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) - 4000 units;
• launchers (PU) of tactical missiles - about 1500 units;
• towed artillery - 6246 units;
• anti-aircraft guns - 1531 units;
• anti-tank weapons of various modifications - approximately 8,000 units.

Naval Forces

The Navy consists of surface and submarine forces, naval aviation, marines and coastal defense forces.

In service with the Chinese Navy:

• one aircraft carrier "Lyaoling" (until June 19, 1990 - "Riga");
• 29 destroyers;
• 49 frigates;
• 86 landing ships;
• 69 submarines;
• 39 minesweepers;
• 368 Coast Guard ships.

China's naval aviation includes:

• about 120 H-5 bombers;
• about 45 J-7 fighters;
• about 60 J-8 fighters;
• about 100 JH-7 fighter-bombers;
• 24 Su-30 fighters.

Air Force

The Chinese Air Force includes: bomber, attack, fighter, reconnaissance, military transport aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, anti-aircraft artillery, radio engineering troops, airborne troops.

To date, the PRC is armed with more than 2,800 aircraft, of which 1,900 are combat aircraft.

The basis of the military power of the PRC Air Force is:

• Xian-10 fighters;
• Xian-8 fighters;
• Su-27 fighters;
• Su-30MKK fighters;
• Su-30MK2 fighters.

The Chinese air force also has SC-19 ballistic missiles, which are equipped with a kinetic interceptor that can destroy satellites.

In 2013, China developed the fifth-generation J-20 fighter. It will go into service in 2020. The aircraft is equipped with a modern radar station (RLS), and its internal compartments can accommodate air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-ship missiles. The J-20 is capable of intercepting attack aircraft and fighter-bombers.

In 2015, China plans to start serial production of the first Chinese carrier-based fighter.

Strategic Missile Force

The strategic missile forces are armed with:

• 66 intercontinental ballistic missiles;
• 118 medium-range ballistic missiles;
• 204 short-range ballistic missiles;
• 54 land-based long-range cruise missiles;
• about 150 strategic missile systems (PGRK).

The missile forces of the PRC consist of 60 ground-mobile solid-fuel systems DF-21 (an analogue of the Soviet system RSD-10 "Pioneer") and 30 ICBMs DF-31 / 31A (an analogue of the Russian system RS-12 "Topol"). It is expected that by 2015 the total number of mobile missile systems in China will reach 130-140 units.

China's arsenal of nuclear warheads is about 250 units.

The army of China, or as the Chinese themselves call it, the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is the largest army in the world in terms of numbers. As of 2020, many military experts estimate the size of the Chinese army in different ways, since in recent years the Chinese army has been declining, relying not on quantity, but on the quality of weapons and military equipment. If we take the average number, it turns out that in the Chinese army there are from 2 to 2.3 million people who are in active service.

The Chinese army was founded on August 1, 1927 after the Nanchang uprising. In those years it was called the "Red Army". In the 30s of the 20th century, the Chinese army under the leadership of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong was already a serious organization, being a significant force in the country. In 1949, when the People's Republic of China was proclaimed, the Chinese army became the regular army of this state.

Although Chinese military law provides for compulsory military service, there are so many people who want to join the regular army in China that in all the years of the existence of the regular army, conscription has never been carried out. Military service in China is very honorable, in addition, it was the only opportunity for the peasants to break out of poverty. Volunteers in the Chinese army are accepted up to 49 years.

Chinese army in numbers

The PLA does not report directly to the party (as is believed in many European countries) or the government. To manage the army in China, there are 2 special commissions:

1. State Commission;
2. Party commission.

Most often, these commissions are completely identical in composition, so the commission that manages the Chinese army is mentioned in the singular.

To imagine the full power of the Chinese army, you need to turn to the numbers:

• The minimum age after which you can enter the army in China is 19;
• The number of military personnel is about 2.2 million;
• More than $215 billion is allocated annually to the Chinese army.

Although China's weapons are for the most part the legacy of the USSR or copies of Soviet models, the modernization of the Chinese army in recent years has been very rapid. There are new models of weapons that are not inferior to world analogues. If modernization continues at a similar pace, then in 10 years the weapons of the Chinese army will not be inferior to the weapons of the European armies, and in 15 years they can be compared with the power of the American army.

History of the emergence of the Chinese army

The history of the Chinese army began on August 1, 1927. It was in this year that the famous revolutionary Zhou Enlai provoked other Chinese revolutionaries to rise up in arms against the "northern" government, which in those years was the legitimate Chinese government.

By rallying 20,000 fighters in arms, the Chinese Communist Party initiated the long struggle of the Chinese people against external and internal enemies. July 11, 1933 is considered the date of birth of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. This date is still considered one of the most revered in China, it is celebrated by all the people of China.

Chinese army today

The modern People's Liberation Army of China has been significantly reduced, although compared to other armies in the world, its composition still looks very impressive. If earlier the main resource of the Chinese army were soldiers, and military equipment could be counted on the fingers, now the Chinese army includes all the components of modern armies:

• Ground troops;
• Air Force;
• Naval Forces;
• Strategic nuclear forces;
• Special forces and many other types of troops, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern army.

Every year, new models of intercontinental missiles and modern nuclear weapons appear in the arsenal of the Chinese army.

The nuclear forces of the Chinese army consist of land, sea and air components, which, according to official information, have about 200 nuclear launchers. Since information about the state of nuclear forces is kept secret by each country, one can be sure that China has many more nuclear carriers than it officially claims.

The strategic missile forces of the Chinese army have 75 ground-based ballistic missile launchers as their backbone. The strategic aviation of China's nuclear forces is composed of 80 Hong-6 aircraft. As a marine component, a nuclear submarine is used, which is armed with 12 launchers. Each of these installations can launch Julang-1 missiles. Although this type of rocket was first deployed in 1986, it is still considered an effective weapon.

The Chinese Ground Forces have the following resources:

• 2.2 million military personnel;
• 89 divisions, of which 11 are armored, and 3 are rapid response;
• 24 armies, which include these divisions.

The air force of the Chinese army includes about 4 thousand aircraft, most of which are obsolete models received from the USSR as military assistance or designed on their basis. Since 75% of the Chinese air fleet are fighters designed to solve combat missions in air defense. Chinese aviation is practically not designed to support the ground forces, although in recent years the situation has begun to improve.

China's naval forces are armed with about 100 large-sized warships, and about 600 combat helicopters and aircraft, which belong to naval aviation. To protect coastal waters, the Chinese Navy has 1,000 patrol ships.

Although many believe that China does not have its own aircraft carriers, the Chinese Navy currently has one Liaoning aircraft carrier in service, which was purchased from Ukraine for $25 million. The purchase of this unfinished aircraft carrier was quite interesting. Since the US was opposed to China buying the aircraft carrier, the Chinese firm purchased it as a floating amusement park. Upon arrival in China, the ship was completed and turned into a combat aircraft carrier, which, in principle, it was originally. Until 2020, China threatens to build 4 more aircraft carriers based on the Liaoning (formerly called the Varyag).

Modernization of the Chinese army

Although China develops new types of weapons every year, in the field of precision weapons, China still lags far behind other developed countries. The Chinese leadership believes that the future belongs to high-precision weapons, so China is investing billions in the development of this type of weapon.

To date, most joint projects between China and Russia are working, for which various agreements have been concluded that affect the following nuances:

• Military technology and development of new weapons that can be shared;
• The field of study of high technologies that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes;
• Space cooperation, which includes various joint programs;
• Cooperation in the field of communications.

In addition, China has received a number of advantages, which include:

• Implementation of joint Chinese-Russian projects, especially military ones;
• Possibility of training and retraining of their employees in Russia;
• Joint modernization of obsolete weapons and their replacement with newer models.

Such cooperation undoubtedly increases the speed of modernization of the Chinese army, although the United States does not like it very much, which fears the possibility of strengthening the Chinese army. Recent years have been marked by an ever-increasing number of contracts between China and Russia related to the acquisition by China of various types of military equipment. The most significant are:

• License for the production of SU-27 fighter jets in China;
• Contract for the repair of Chinese submarines in Russian repair docks.

If we analyze the development of China's defense complex over the past 10 years, it becomes clear that over the years China has not only stepped forward in terms of the country's economic development, but also in terms of modernizing the army.

Current priorities in the field of defense construction in China

Since in recent years China has completely changed its military doctrine, which is now not related to the preparation of the country for a global war, the priorities in the development of the Chinese army have also changed. Since China currently believes that a world war is now hardly possible, there are massive reductions in the army. At the same time, the Chinese army is rapidly modernizing, and the amount of funds allocated annually for the army is so large that it is not necessary to talk about the loss of power of the Chinese army.

At the same time, the aggressive policy of the United States is forcing China to modernize its army at an accelerated pace, since conversations in the world political arena are still being conducted from a position of strength. That is why the new military doctrine of China speaks of the transformation of the Chinese army into a powerful structure, equipped with the latest technology. An army of this type must be able not only to effectively defend its borders, but also to respond with powerful blows to the enemy, who can be located in any part of the world. That is why China is now investing heavily in the development and modernization of intercontinental cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Such a position is not related to the aggressiveness of China, simply because in the last century a huge but technologically backward country was in semi-colonial dependence on Western countries, which for decades robbed the Chinese people. That is why China is cooperating with Russia, which has been actively helping it since the times of the USSR.

China's entire nuclear policy can fit into the concept of a "limited nuclear retaliatory strike," with "retaliatory" being the key word here. This policy, although it assumes the presence of a powerful nuclear potential, but it should only serve as a deterrent for those countries that intend to use nuclear weapons against China. This is not at all like the nuclear arms race that was between the USSR and the USA, so the Chinese nuclear program does not require huge material costs.

In the past decade, China has abandoned the aimless increase in the size of the army. After conducting many analyzes of world military conflicts that have occurred over the past 10-20 years, Chinese military experts have come to the conclusion that modern troops should support the concept of rapid response. At the same time, these groups can be quite compact, but their weapons must meet all modern high-tech parameters. It is science that should drive the modern development of the army. A modern soldier is not cannon fodder, but a versatile specialist who knows how to handle the latest military equipment.

Mobile rapid response teams must, within a few hours, be at the point of a local conflict, which they must quickly neutralize. In accordance with this concept, the Chinese armed forces are developing precisely mobile forces, trying to equip them with various electronics that can perform the following tasks:

• Long-range warning systems;
• Early warning systems;
• Communication systems;
• Remote control systems for weapons and troops;
• The latest means of electronic warfare.

Since China has made tremendous progress in the development of electronics in recent years, the military field is also developing very dynamically.

Financing the Chinese army

Although spending on the Chinese army is in second place in world statistics, second only to the United States, as a percentage of the $ 200 billion that is annually allocated for defense, it is only 1.5-1.9% of the country's GDP. Even 10 years ago this percentage was equal to 55 billion, and 20 years ago it was only 10 billion. Since China's GDP is growing every year, we can expect an increase in funding for the Chinese army in the future.

Representatives of many countries that are rather wary of China (especially the United States) believe that the official statistics provided by the Chinese authorities do not correspond to the real state of affairs. For example, the Japanese, who have disliked China since the Second World War, claim that the real costs of the Chinese army exceed the figures in official statistics by 3 times.

Although the economic situation at the beginning of the 21st century contributed to a reduction in funding around the world, the events of the last 2 decades have shown that China has been able to increase its GDP by more than 20 times. Accordingly, the financing of the army increased exponentially, since no one cut the percentage.

Due to the fact that modern China trades with almost all countries of the world, the diplomatic relations of this country with all gradually normalized. Modern China has especially friendly relations with Russia. These relations are formed on the basis of equal partnership. It is worth noting that the friendly Russian-Chinese relations are of great concern to the United States of America, which wants to be a leader on the world stage. The United States cannot help but worry about China's integration into the world economy, so they would like to have leverage over China from a position of strength. America is well aware that if Russia and China unite against them, then they are unlikely to win, even on the economic battlefield.

If you look at China's domestic politics, you can see China's great attention to the country's internal problems. The standard of living in China is growing at a rapid pace, many Chinese now live in a way that only a select few could afford 20 years ago.

Should the world wait for the “Chinese threat”?

Since any success of any country gives rise to envy and suspicion, China has not escaped this fate either. As a result of the fact that China began to develop rapidly in the past 20 years, it began to be perceived by some politicians in different countries as a possible aggressor. The tabloids around the world picked up these rumors, and now many ordinary people are waiting for aggressive actions from China against their countries. This hysteria has reached the point that even in Russia, which for many years has been China's partner in various fields, many consider the Chinese to be their enemies.

The Chinese authorities express their deep regret that many world countries treat China as a possible aggressor. The reason for these accusations lies in the misunderstanding of Chinese foreign policy. Supporters of the "China threat" theory accuse China of the following:

• After the US and Russian navies reduced the number of warships in the Asia-Pacific region, China rushed to take the vacant seat to become the most significant military force in the region;
• China dreams of the idea of ​​world domination, therefore, throws all its forces into absorbing world markets and building up military power;
• Since China buys a huge amount of modern weapons from Russia, this causes a real arms race in this region. It has gotten to the point where some military experts directly accuse China of having North Korea acquire its own nuclear weapons;
• The modernization of the Chinese army is carried out for only one purpose - to hit any country, perhaps even the United States.

Chinese military experts indignantly deny these accusations. Regarding the leadership of the Chinese fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese experts cite a number of dry figures that indicate that although Russia and the United States have reduced their forces in this region, the fleet of any of these countries is significantly superior to the Chinese one in terms of its power.

With regard to the Chinese idea of ​​world domination, the rapid growth of the Chinese economy should not be seen as an attempt to establish world domination. The fact that China is buying up enterprises around the world is a common practice of global business that is striving for development.

As for the global modernization of the Chinese army, the Chinese authorities say that this process is a heavy burden on the shoulders of the Chinese economy. The Chinese say that they would gladly refuse this process, but the composition of the People's Liberation Army of China is seriously inferior to the armies of other countries. That is why modernization is a necessary process.

There is some truth in the assurances of Chinese experts and authorities. Indeed, in modern China there are many reforms that are aimed at the economic development of the state. If China has to focus on external problems, this will inevitably lead to problems at home. It is unlikely that China will want to create unnecessary problems for itself when its government is focused on economic reforms.

The US constantly claims that China will launch military aggression from Taiwan, which they have long wanted to take over. If we consider the relationship between China and Taiwan from the point of view of the economy, we can see that these two states have serious economic relations. The annual turnover between the two states is very significant, so it makes no sense for China to lose huge profits by attacking Taiwan.

With the United States most blamed on China, portraying it as a real beast that is just waiting for the moment to attack, one thing can be understood: America does not need another superpower on the world stage. Although for the United States “the train has already left”, and the Chinese army is confidently moving towards leadership positions in the world rankings.

The size of the Chinese army can be the envy of any modern sovereign state. According to official estimates, as part of the armed forces of the Celestial Empire,...

Army of China: strength, composition, armament

By Masterweb

The size of the Chinese army can be the envy of any modern sovereign state. According to official estimates, more than 2 million people are involved in the armed forces of the Middle Kingdom. The Chinese themselves call their troops the People's Liberation Army of China. There is not a single example of a more numerous military force in the world. Experts say that in recent years the number of Chinese soldiers has decreased due to the new military-political doctrine. According to it, the main stake in the PRC army is now placed not on the amount of manpower, but on the quality of weapons and equipment of the troops.

The history of the formation of the Chinese armed forces

Despite the fact that the intrastate militarization of the PRC was first carried out in 1927, its history dates back much earlier. Scientists believe that in fact the army of Ancient China was formed about 4 millennia ago. And there is evidence for this.

We are talking about the so-called terracotta army of China. This name was adopted to describe the terracotta statues of warriors at the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an. Full-sized sculptures were buried in the III century BC. e. along with the body of the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the achievement of whose policy was the unification of the Chinese state and the connection of the links of the Great Wall.

Historiographers report that the future ruler started building his tomb when he was still 13 years old. According to the idea of ​​Ying Zheng (that was the name of the emperor before ascending the throne), the sculptures of warriors were supposed to remain next to him even after death. The construction of the mausoleum required the efforts of about 700 thousand workers. Construction lasted almost 40 years. Contrary to tradition, clay copies of warriors were buried with the ruler instead of living soldiers. The Terracotta Army of China was discovered in 1974 while drilling an artesian well near the ancient Chinese capital, Xi'an.

If we talk about the modern legions of this country, then they are the direct heirs of the communist combat units that arose during intrastate battles in the 20-30s of the previous century. One fateful date stands out from the history of the People's Army of China. On August 1, 1927, an uprising took place in the city of Nanchang, which became the very driving lever in the founding mechanism of the then-called Red Army. The then armed forces were headed by the future leader of the PRC, Mao Zedong.

The PLA (People's Liberation Army of China) received its current name only after the end of World War II, and from the moment it was formed, it was the Red Army that fought against the military units of the Kuomintang and the Japanese interventionists.

After the devastating surrender of Japan, the Soviet Union decided to transfer the weapons of the Kwantung Army to a neighboring friendly state. Volunteer formations equipped with weapons from the USSR took an active part in the war on the Korean Peninsula. Thanks to the efforts and help of Stalin, the Chinese were able to build new combat-ready troops. Far from the last role in the formation of the armed forces of the Middle Kingdom of that period was played by semi-partisan associations. In 1949, after the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, the army acquired the status of a regular armed forces.

The development of Chinese troops in the second half of the twentieth century

After the death of Joseph Stalin, relations between the once partner countries began to deteriorate, and in 1969 a serious border conflict broke out between the USSR and the PRC on Damansky Island, which almost caused the outbreak of a full-scale war.

Since the 1950s, the Chinese army has been repeatedly subjected to significant reductions. The most significant, which was reflected in the number of active troops, occurred in the 80s. At that time, the Chinese army was represented mainly by ground forces, that is, imprisoned for a probable military conflict with the Soviet Union.

After some time, relations between the countries stabilized. The Chinese, realizing that the threat of war from the northern side had passed, turned their attention to internal problems. Since 1990, the country's leadership has launched a large-scale program to improve the current model of the national army. China is still actively modernizing its navy, aviation, and missile forces.

From 1927 to the present day, tremendous work has been done to reform the PLA. Successfully carried out transformations led to a new division of the army according to territorial affiliation, the formation of new types of troops. The country's leadership, led by Xi Jinping, sees it as their goal to achieve the highest level of controllability and combat capability of the Chinese army, optimize the structure of combat units and create troops that have an advantage in the era of information technology.

Indicators of the armed forces of the PRC

As in a number of other states, compulsory military service has been introduced in China's legislative acts. However, the number of people striving to get into the ranks of the regular troops is so great that in the entire history of the existence of the PRC army (since 1949), the authorities have not carried out a formal conscription. It is a matter of honor for every Chinese, regardless of gender, to pay a debt to the Motherland by military service. In addition, military craft is the only way for most Chinese peasants to feed their families. Soldiers are accepted into the volunteer detachments of the Chinese army until they reach the age of 49.

The armed forces of the People's Republic of China are a separate structural unit, not subordinate to either the Communist Party or the government. Two specially formed committees are called upon to manage the army in China - the State and the Party.

It is difficult for a person who is far from military affairs to imagine the true power of the military "machine" of the Celestial Empire. Let's take a look at the numbers to understand:

• Both men and women over 19 have the right to join the ranks of various types of troops.
• The size of the Chinese army, according to rough estimates of experts, is about 2.5 million people.
• From year to year, more than 215 billion dollars are allocated from the state budget for the maintenance of the armed forces.

An interesting feature of the weapons of the Chinese army is its similarity with the Soviet one. For the most part, the weapons and equipment of the Chinese are a direct legacy of the USSR, copies of Soviet models. Over the past decades, in the course of modernization, the armament of the Chinese army has been increasingly replenished with new types of ultra-modern weapons, which are not inferior in their parameters to world analogues.

The beautiful half of the Chinese troops

Since the formation of the PLA, not only men have joined its ranks. Women in the Chinese army occupy mainly positions with minimal threat to life. As a rule, this is the sphere of communication and healthcare.

The first release of female marines after training in the South China Navy dates back to 1995. About 10 years ago, the fair sex began to be allowed to take fighter piloting exams. Some ladies have become captains in the Navy and manage warships and crew. Women, just like men, march in Chinese army parades. Military demonstrations take place in China once every ten years. According to experts, ladies print a step clearly and competently, in no way inferior to men.

On the Composition of the Military Forces of the People's Republic of China

The size of the current PLA has been significantly reduced in comparison with the Chinese army of the 1960s and 70s. But, despite this, against the background of the combat effectiveness of the armies of other states, the troops of the Celestial Empire still look impressive. The main difference between the former armed forces of China is that soldiers, that is, manpower, served as the main resource for their formation. At the same time, the number of units of military equipment amounted to several dozen throughout the country. The structure of today's Chinese army includes all units of modern troops:

• land;
• military air;
• Navy;
• strategic nuclear forces;
• special forces and other types of combat groups, in the absence of which it is impossible to imagine any army of a modern state.

In addition, new models of ballistic missiles and intercontinental weapons enter the arsenal of the Chinese army every year. Given that each nuclear power keeps full information about the state of its weapons capabilities secret, it is likely that China also has an order of magnitude more nuclear warheads than officially reported. According to public information, there are about 200 carriers with an isotopic charge in the country.

Rocket and ground forces

The strategic units of the armed forces of the PRC have access to 75 ground-based installations for launching ballistic missiles, about 80 Hong-6 aircraft belonging to the strategic forces of nuclear aviation, as basic equipment. At the disposal of the command of the Chinese flotilla there is a nuclear submarine equipped with twelve launchers for launching Juilang-1 missiles. Despite the fact that this type of weapon was developed more than 30 years ago, it is considered effective today.

As for the composition of the ground forces, in China this unit has the following resources:

• 2.5 million soldiers;
• about 90 divisions, of which a fifth is represented by tank and rapid response.

Chinese Air Force and Navy

The military aviation of the People's Republic of China openly declares the presence of about 4,000 aircraft. At the same time, most of them are an outdated "legacy" from the USSR, which was transferred by the Union. Many active aircraft are models based on Soviet aircraft. More than two-thirds of China's air fleet are fighters used to destroy military targets and air defense. Not so long ago, Chinese aviation was not intended to support ground forces. Over the past few years, the situation in this direction has changed radically.

More than a hundred warships and several hundred helicopters and aircraft belonging to the Naval Aviation Authority make up the Chinese Navy. For regular protection of the border and coastal zones, the Chinese Navy uses thousands of equipped patrol ships.

Not many people know that China is the owner of the aircraft carrier "Lyaoling" (formerly "Varangian"). The PRC purchased it from the Ukrainian fleet for a rather impressive sum of $25 million. The United States prevented the purchase of an aircraft carrier, so the Chinese company had to resort to a kind of trick: a private company acquired the Varyag, which in the documents received the status of a floating amusement park. As soon as the aircraft carrier arrived in China, it was decided to complete and improve it. Not so long ago, the PRC created two more aircraft carriers modeled on the Liaolin.

Military-political partnership

Despite the fact that weapons models continue to be actively developed in the Middle Kingdom, in the field of high-precision weapons, this country still lags behind the superpowers. A large share of the funds allocated to ensure the defense capability of the state goes to the development of a new type of weapon. The country's leadership chose this course because, in its opinion, the future belongs to high-precision weapons.

To get an objective assessment and compare the armies of China and the United States, it is not necessary to list all the super-powerful weapons of both powers at their disposal. Without further arguments, it is clear that the PRC has something to strive for in the field of military weapons. Despite all the scientific and technological achievements of designers, the Chinese defense industry is still far behind the American one. It is only worth noting that the United States, as the main competitor of the Chinese in the international arena, does not particularly hide its dissatisfaction with their success.

In order to gradually reduce the gap from the world leader, China decided to actively develop cooperation with the Russian Federation in the military-technical sphere. China owes much to its partner for the rapid development of its army. Thanks to Russia, which not only supplies the latest weapons, but also takes part in the development of military equipment on a par with Chinese specialists, China has managed to take a decisive step forward.

Today, there are many joint Russian-Chinese projects, various agreements have been concluded at the intergovernmental and interstate levels in the following areas:

• joint military technological processes and development of the latest weapons;
• study of technologies used both to destroy combat targets and to protect civilians;
• cooperation in the space field, which implies the conduct of numerous projects, the development of programs;
• strengthening relations in the field of communications.

The rapid development of partnership relations between Russia and China is of great importance for the armies of both states. The increase in the pace of modernization processes of the armed forces of the Celestial Empire is not welcomed by the United States, which fears the potential for the emergence of a direct competitor. At the same time, the number of agreements on cooperation between Russia and China has increased significantly over the past few years. The most significant achievements in the sphere of relations between these two countries are the acquisition of SU-27 fighters, as well as permission for their production in China, and the agreement of the Russian side to carry out repair work on Chinese submarines on its territory.

The main priorities in the field of defense construction

Comparison of the armies of China of the last century and our time have enormous differences. The change in the military-political doctrine of the PRC and the competent setting of priorities have brought real results in the development of the armed forces of the republic. Numerical reductions against the backdrop of rapidly proceeding technical modernization, which requires the annual allocation of impressive budgetary amounts, did not affect the combat capability of the Celestial Empire's army in any way. On the contrary, China's position in the international arena has been significantly strengthened.

The country's leadership will not consider the issue of suspending the modernization of the army as long as the United States will act in interstate relations from a position of strength. The PRC plans to reach a level of armed forces at which the republic will be able to protect its borders and strike back at the enemy. For the same purpose, huge funds are allocated from the budget for the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

China's policy in the field of nuclear weapons fits into the concept of "limited retaliatory nuclear strike." Despite the fact that the military-political doctrine of the PRC implies the development of nuclear potential, its presence should be perceived by other states not as a threat, but as a deterrent that can be used in response against an enemy using nuclear weapons on the territory of the republic.

Of strategic importance in the field of defense construction are mobile rapid reaction teams, whose task is to quickly move to areas of active conflict and neutralize it. According to the provisions of this concept, the Chinese army is developing mobile forces, annually equipping them with modern electronics, including systems:

• early warning and communications;
• remote control of weapons and troops;
• electronic warfare.

Financing the Chinese army

In comparing the armies of China and Russia, the difference between the amount of funds annually allocated for the maintenance of the armed forces is striking. If the military budget of the Russians has been on average in the range of $65 billion over the past few years, then the growing Chinese spending on the modernization of troops has already exceeded $200 billion. In this context, the army of the Celestial Empire is second only to the United States. At the same time, the Chinese allocate only 1.5-1.9% of the country's GDP for defense. Interestingly, this figure was equal to 50 billion dollars just ten years ago. With GDP growth, a proportional increase in funding for the Chinese armed forces is expected.

The development of trade relations with most world powers contributes to the normalization of diplomatic relations. As already noted, the warmest friendly relations based on equal partnership are maintained between China and Russia.

Does China want world domination?

The number and armament of the Chinese army allows us to consider this country as one of the strongest potential adversaries. But since any successes and achievements give rise to envy, suspicion and slander, the republic did not escape this fate. The country's leadership expresses regret over the fact that some states treat the Celestial Empire as a likely aggressor. The reason for such suspicions is an incorrect understanding of Chinese foreign policy. The versions include the following:

• The PRC seeks to become the most significant military force in the Asia-Pacific region, so the republic began to heavily invest in the army as soon as Russia and the United States reduced the number of warships in this area.
• The purchase of modern weapons from Russia provokes an arms race. Allegedly, this is considered one of the real reasons why the DPRK (North Korea) decided to acquire nuclear warheads.
• The modernization of Chinese troops is carried out only in order to strike at the United States.

These accusations are refuted by military experts from China. China does not seek world domination, and the rapid growth of economic indicators would be more correct to perceive as a common business practice that seeks to expand and increase profits.

The very process of army modernization, according to the PRC authorities, is a heavy burden on the shoulders of the state economy. However, China has no right to refuse to improve its armed forces, since the country's army is currently vulnerable to more powerful troops of other powers.

The US assumes that China will launch a military offensive from Taiwan, with which the Chinese have certain territorial disputes. But such thoughts have no logical justification in light of the steadily developing economic relations between China and Taiwan. These two countries are connected by a large annual turnover. Therefore, why should China lose billions in profits?..

Such accusations can be heard mainly from the United States or its allies. Apparently, it is beneficial for America to present China in a bad light, arguing that the PRC is just waiting for the moment to attack. What is the goal that the Americans are actually pursuing by putting spokes in the wheels of the Celestial Empire? Most likely, America is afraid of losing world leadership. It does not need a strong competitor, another superpower on the world stage.

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The Chinese army is considered the largest in the world. Today, over 2 million privates and officers serve in its ranks. Troops are formed on the basis of conscription. Young people from 18 to 24 years old serve in the active army. The service life is 2 years. The Chinese armed forces also include a people's militia, where men aged 18 to 35 serve as privates. Persons who have undergone army training form the core of the militia and form its officer corps.

The military craft in China is considered very prestigious and respected, so many conscripts continue to serve after two years, but already under a contract. Military personnel can count on the provision of a number of benefits, housing, increased pensions, special conditions for life and health insurance, state support when looking for work after being transferred to the reserve.

According to the latest orders of the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, draft boards must give preference to young people with higher or completed secondary education. Many high-ranking Chinese military men in interviews note that now for China it is not so much a physically developed as an educated soldier that is important.

Story

The Chinese army grew out of separate army detachments that supported the Communist Party of China in the summer of 1927 and opposed the Kuomintang government. Until 1949, the Chinese Red Army was the mainstay of the communists in the civil war. Also, the Chinese military distinguished themselves in repelling the aggression of the Japanese invaders during the Second World War. In 1946, the Chinese army received its official name - the PLA (National Liberation Army of China).

The USSR played a major role in the formation and formation of the PLA. The Soviet military gave the Chinese side all the weapons left after the defeat of the Kwantung Army in the Far East. Soviet specialists repeatedly came to China to help organize the army command and control system and bring with them the latest weapons.

Since 1949, the PLA has taken part in the following military conflicts:

• Korean War (1950-53);
• Sino-Vietnamese War (1979);
• border conflicts with India in 1962 and 1967;
• several border conflicts with Vietnam (between 1974 and 1990);
• conflict with the USSR over Damansky Island (1969);
• clashes with Taiwan, where the Kuomintang leaders settled, after the end of the Civil War.

In the 1990s, reforms were carried out in the army aimed at modernization. In 2015, Xi Jinping announced the start of a new reform that continues to this day.

Structure

The administration of the PLA is entrusted to the Central Military Council of the People's Republic of China. In fact, the composition of the military council of the country always coincides with the composition of another, already purely party body - the military council of the CPC Central Committee. The current chairman of both structures is Xi Jinping. The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China is a state body that has no analogues in the world. Not only the army, but also the police, the people's militia and detachments of combatants are subordinate to the council. In fact, the Communist Party controls all power structures in the country.

It is curious that the PRC Ministry of Defense performs secondary functions and is much inferior in importance to the military council. It is responsible for conducting peacekeeping missions and organizing international military cooperation.

At the moment, the PLA includes five types of troops:

• ground troops. The most numerous branch of the armed forces. Includes infantry, armored, airborne, border, engineering, chemical, reconnaissance troops, etc.
• air Force. Until the end of the 1970s, the main task of the Chinese Air Force was only to support the ground army in combat in the country. But since the 1990s, aircraft have become capable of more diverse missions, such as strikes against land and sea targets outside of China. Today, the Celestial Empire has 4,000 combat aircraft and 700 launchers for anti-aircraft guided missiles.
• naval forces. The Chinese Navy includes three fleets (the North, East and South Seas). Each of these fleets consists of smaller units: the Coast Guard, the submarine and surface fleet, and naval aviation.
• rocket troops. One of the youngest branches of the military, which appeared only in 2016. Everything related to the activities of this military unit is kept a top secret by the Chinese government. Western powers show the greatest interest in China's nuclear potential and the volume of weapons of mass destruction, so American and European experts regularly put forward their assessments of the Chinese arsenal.
• strategic support troops. Another structure that emerged after the announcement of the 2015 reform. Very little is known about the VSP. The main task of the division: ensuring the superiority of China over the enemy in space and cyberspace. It is likely that the troops are responsible for intelligence activities, information gathering, satellite and radar systems.

PLA reform 2015-2020

In 2015, China began a large-scale military reform, designed for 5 years. World experts note the depth and significance of this reform. Many believe that it means not only fundamental changes in army life, but also opens a new stage in the political life of the entire state. The preparation of the reform went on for about 7 years, a huge theoretical and practical work was done, which required the involvement of both military and civilian specialists. Chinese experts note that for its development they used the experience of many powers (primarily Russia and the United States).

The main goals of the reform are:

• eliminating corruption and abuses in the army, and strengthening the CCP's control over the military. These two directions can be considered the main tasks of army modernization;
• the creation of a single headquarters for all branches of the armed forces, the reorganization of the PLA command system;
• removing some non-core tasks from the sphere of responsibility of the military;
• improving the professionalism of officers;
• changing the boundaries of military districts and improving the internal system of command and control of the military forces of individual provinces;
• the design of the structure responsible for conducting cyber warfare;
• the growing role of the Navy and Air Force;
• using the latest information technologies.

The features of this reform are associated not only with the technological breakthrough that began in China in the 21st century, but also with a change in Chinese foreign policy doctrine. If for almost the entire second half of the twentieth century, the Chinese were preparing for an armed conflict with the USSR and therefore attached the greatest importance to ground forces, now the priority direction of Chinese foreign policy is the protection of its territorial waters and dominance in the Pacific Ocean. This explains the mass layoffs of the military who served in the ground forces, and the enhanced development of the Navy and Air Force.

The change in the command structure of the army comes down, first of all, to the concentration of all resources in the hands of the Central Military Council. Until January 2018, four completely independent headquarters operated under the authority of the council. Under the reform, they were replaced by fifteen departments with narrower powers and a lower level of independence.

Many high-ranking officials and the military lament that the Chinese army is "stricken with a peaceful disease." The PLA has not taken part in real military action for many years, which some see not as a merit of Chinese diplomacy, but as a serious omission. By order of Xi Jinping, the army should regularly conduct regular real-time exercises. The conduct of such tests will be tightly controlled by the state, since in the early 2000s, almost all such activities in China resulted in grandiose money laundering scams.

Technological innovations

So far, Chinese military equipment is somewhat inferior to Russian and American, but it is obvious that over the next decade this gap will rapidly decrease, and then disappear altogether.

Today, the Chinese defense industry fully provides its army with the necessary weapons. Moreover, recently China has been increasingly winning tenders for the supply of weapons to other states, leaving behind European countries and the United States. Many powers prefer to buy Chinese weapons, even if they are more expensive than competitors' products.

At first, Chinese weapons were copied by Soviet and Russian products, and now they are European, American and Israeli ones. However, it would be fundamentally wrong to say that only copies are made in China and there are no own military developments. The main task now facing Chinese specialists is to eliminate dependence on foreign technologies.

One of the latest important Chinese military developments has been the latest submarine detection devices. Unlike traditional sonar, Chinese instruments are much more sensitive and accurate. They react to the slightest magnetic vibrations.

The Chinese managed to achieve no less success in the development of an aerial surveillance system. In 2018, a radar was successfully tested, which makes it possible to detect aircraft based on stealth technology at a great distance. The principle of operation of the radar is based on the use of T-rays (one of the varieties of electromagnetic radiation). T-beam generators have been used in industry before, for example, to detect hidden defects in products. But so far, no country has been able to create a generator of such power that would allow detecting an aircraft at a distance of more than 100 km.

In 2016, two of China's latest missiles, the TL-2 and TL-7, were unveiled at the Military Achievement Exhibition in Singapore. The TL-7 is an anti-ship missile that can be launched from the air, land, or ship. The TL-2 is designed to be launched from a rig or drone.

Another Chinese novelty, designed to bomb the enemy, grew out of Soviet developments. In the 1950s, the Chinese leadership received from the USSR the technical documentation necessary for the assembly of MiG-19 fighters. Aircraft assembled in China were named J-6 and until recently were the most popular combat vehicle in the arsenal of the PLA Air Force. Since this model is now outdated, Chinese engineers began to develop the latest kamikaze drones based on the J-6. Each such aircraft is a ground-based cruise missile.

The Taihan aircraft engine is also a unique Chinese development. The first such engines appeared back in the 1980s, but then they were significantly inferior to American and Soviet designs. For a long time, aircraft engines for the PLA Air Force were purchased abroad, but recently the Chinese side began to equip their aircraft with their own engines.

In parallel with military developments in China, space technologies are rapidly developing. In 2011, the first Chinese orbital station, Tiangong-1, was launched into orbit, modeled on Soviet stations. To date, two more similar Chinese vehicles have been in space. In 2022, Chinese engineers plan to launch the first multi-module manned orbital station.