PLA downsizes its forces by 200,000
By Guo Nei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-10 06:03

China downsized its military by 200,000 by the end of last year to optimize force structures and increase combat capabilities, the People's Liberation Army Daily reported yesterday.

The two-year programme to trim the military was completed on schedule; and troop numbers were down to 2.3 million compared to 3.2 million in 1987, the newspaper said.

The changes included reducing layers in the command hierarchy, cutting non-combat units such as schools and farms, and rearranging officer duties.

The number of land forces was reduced by a large margin, while the navy, air force and missile-specialist Second Artillery Force were strengthened.

"The ratio of land forces has plunged to a historic low," the report said without giving any numbers, and added that the ratio of combat troops had increased remarkably.

Streamlining of the officer corps was the focus of the latest restructuring, said the report: About 170,000 officers were demobilized to "optimize the ratio between officers and soldiers."

In the past, the PLA was over-staffed with officers. For example, company quartermasters and nurses at military hospitals were ranked as officers, who are now replaced with non-commissioned officers, said a military expert who did not want to be named.

China started massive troop reductions in the 1980s and in the two years to 1987, cut more than 1 million.

In 1997, the PLA decided to cut 500,000 troops to keep its size at 2.5 million.

Besides the reduction of servicemen, the PLA has also made progress in pushing the reform of joint logistical support, said the report.

It launched a pilot programme to build a joint logistics support system in East China's Jinan Theatre in July 2004, under which all logistical organs of the three services were merged to save costs and improve efficiency.

(China Daily 01/10/2006 page1)