China to cut army by 700,000 troops-sources

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Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:19am EDT

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BEIJING, Sept 30 (Reuters) - China plans to cut its army by 700,000 troops over two to three years as part of its drive to modernise the world's biggest military into a leaner high-tech force, two sources with People's Liberation Army (PLA) ties said.

The PLA also plans to boost navy and air force personnel over that time, one of those sources said. Both sources requested anonymity to avoid repercussions for speaking to foreign reporters without authorisation.

The PLA was born out of the Red Army, a five-million-strong peasant army. The PLA became the national armed force in 1949 when Communist leader Mao Zedong swept to power, 60 years ago on Thursday.

"(The PLA) needs to develop the navy and air force," one of the sources told Reuters. "University graduates will be recruited."

The cuts to land forces and additions to the other arms of the military would mean that PLA troop numbers shrink from 2.3 million, but the final tally is unclear, given other possible staffing changes.

China has cut troop numbers in recent years to make more money available for better training and conditions and advanced weapons. The navy is considering building an aircraft carrier, for instance.

Neither source was sure when the planned reduction would be announced. It needs the approval of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, which is headed by Party chief Hu Jintao.

China's armed forces are far bigger than the world's second-largest military, that of the United States, whose forces number around 1.5 million.

China watchers are monitoring international deployments for signs of China's rising global status translating into a more assertive foreign policy and presence. Chinese warships steamed to waters off Somalia December to assist in anti-piracy patrols. In recent months, Chinese vessels have become involved in brief scuffles with U.S. surveillance vessels in seas off the Chinese coast that Beijing claims are in its exclusive economic zone.

And China has never renounced the use of force to bring self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, which it considers sovereign territory, under its rule. But ties have improved since the election of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou last year. (Reporting by Benjamin Kang Lim, Lucy Hornby and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Chris Buckley and Nick Macfie)





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