China To Downsize Army By Half, Boost Navy Numbers

China plans to downsize its two million strong Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) by more than half while boosting the number of its naval personnel (PLA-Navy).

Global Times, quoting Jun Zhengping Studio, a WeChat account run by the PLA Daily said  yesterday "the old military structure, where the army accounts for the vast majority, will be replaced after the reform. This is the first time that active PLA Army personnel would be reduced to below one million."

"This reform will provide other services, including the PLA Rocket Force, Air Force, Navy and Strategic Support Force (mainly responsible for electronic warfare and communication), with more resources and inputs, and the PLA will strengthen its capability to conduct overseas missions," Xu Guangyu, a senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told the Global Times.