China to cut 300,000 People’s Liberation Army troops

Insight

More than 80 percent of the military assets China showed off during the parade were being seen in public for the very first time. Equally noteworthy was a surprise announcement from President Xi who said that 300,000 troops will be cut from the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA.

CCTV’s Roee Ruttenberg provided Insight into what it all means.

More details:

  • China says that the cuts are part of the modernization of its armed forces.
  • At its peak in the 1970s, China’s military had more than 6 million troops.
  • Its current size, was half of what it was in the 1970s. The cuts – thirteen percent – will bring that number down to two million.


Zhu Chenghu on China’s decision to cut troops
For more about the militaries of Japan and China – particularly China’s. CCTV America’s Elaine Reyes spoke to Zhu Chenghu from Beijing. Zhu is a professor at the PLA National Defense University.