We mix and mash our words and accents, and we're better off for it, says the columnist.
“The past year has been unusual and extraordinary. The PLA has deepened its political rectification, effectively responded to various risks and challenges, and undergone revolutionary tempering in the fight against corruption,” Xi said, referring to a process of extreme political purification.
In an unusual move, Beijing accused Zhang and Liu of “causing great damage to the military’s combat effectiveness”, a claim rarely levelled against high-ranking military officials in the past. Since 2023, 18 generals in China have been investigated and dismissed, and at least 16 more – including the theatre command and service chiefs – have missed key meetings., the Chinese military’s official newspaper, published several articles saying corruption, unnecessary spending and “formalism” had undermined the PLA’s combat strength. That message was echoed on Wednesday in another PLA Daily article that outlined steps for the military to take to be more fiscally prudent, with special emphasis on “formalism in training”. Formalism refers to keeping up surface appearances or going through the motions rather than addressing real needs. “Organising exercises should focus on combat, highlighting their testing and confrontational nature, and reducing unnecessary spending,” the article said. The PLA must “ensure that every penny serves the actual needs of training and combat readiness”, it added. A separate article in PLA Daily on February 3 identified misconduct, including “faking” in training and exercises, as a focal area in this year’s anti-corruption efforts. It said the military “must resolutely correct problems such as falsification and deception in military training and exercises, as well as the disconnect between training, combat readiness and actual combat”. While similar calls for stronger training oversight have been made before, analysts said this year’s repeated emphasis indicated that the PLA still saw flaws in the system and considered their rectification a pressing priority. A military analyst who previously served in the PLA and spoke on condition of anonymity said “some training in the past had a low level of realism and wasn’t combat-oriented”. “Some training was even just taking a picture and reporting it to higher authorities,” the analyst said. “There was also falsification in exercises in which the actual number of days was shorter than the reported expected number. “For example, they’d report seven days when applying for funding, but the actual training might only have been five days.”Song Zhongping, a military expert and former PLA instructor, said Beijing was “constantly scrutinising and addressing loopholes in the military budget may find instances of individuals profiting from training”. “There is no perfect military budget mechanism in the world,” Song added. “Loopholes must be addressed.” Wednesday’s article also said there was a need to “balance the relationship between developing new equipment and improving existing equipment to prevent duplication of construction and disorderly competition”. An engineer from a Chinese military research institute who requested anonymity said there was generally more funding for new equipment projects than for improving existing gear. As a result, some military research institutes tended to submit proposals for new projects, resulting in unnecessary competition, the engineer said. “Moreover, many research units have limited research personnel and resources, and can only advance a few equipment development projects simultaneously,” the engineer said. “But some institutes blindly apply for many projects, submitting many proposals at once.” In recent years, China has sought to upgrade a number of components for its existing equipment, such as the radar for its main carrier-based The engineer said the selection of upgrades and replacements for military equipment could sometimes lead to redundant construction and wasted funds. “For example, when upgrading or replacing radar on some equipment, the unit often prefers to replace it with a newer model,” the engineer said. “If there’s a generational need for the radar, then of course it should be replaced. But if there’s only a need for a new version of a radar, it can actually be modified.” The article called on the PLA to “strictly implement weapons and equipment maintenance systems and improve equipment readiness and operational rates”. Song said Beijing wanted to increase the operational rates of its stockpiled equipment for conducting frequent training and deployment, rather than simply having it stored in warehouses. “Operational rate and readiness rate are directly proportional,” Song said. “Demanding a higher operational rate is a test of the effectiveness of maintenance and places higher demands on maintenance.” Another mainland military analyst who requested anonymity said Beijing “saw the poor condition of Russian equipment maintenance and storage at the beginning of the war in Ukraine and may have similar concerns”. Meanwhile, an article published in the PLA Daily on January 30 called for “a heavy blow to corrupt practices that damage combat strength and a thorough investigation to uncover those ‘big rats’ who benefit from the military’s budget”. Last February, Beijing revised the PLA’s internal affairs regulations that outline the military’s management requirements and supervision of equipment maintenance. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POSTWhat is China’s Central Military Commission and how does it operate amid anti-graft drive?
PLA Funding Loopholes Combat Readiness Anti-Corruption Drive Xi Jinping Combat Training Corruption Unnecessary Spending Formalism Fiscal Prudence
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