f**o
发帖数: 12685 | | f******2
发帖数: 2455 | | f**o
发帖数: 12685 | 3 quarter of its army corps, sources say
Cutbacks part of sweeping reforms to modernise and streamline world鈥檚
biggest military
Minnie ChanMinnie Chan
UPDATED : Sunday, 19 Mar 2017, 7:07AM
China will disband five of the PLA鈥檚 18 army corps, according to military
sources, as part of a huge overhaul initiated by President Xi Jinping aimed
at turning the world鈥檚 biggest army into a more nimble and modern 颅
fighting force.
The cuts could affect up to 200,000 troops, but some military personnel
might be deployed to other units such as the newly 颅developed rocket force,
the navy or the air force, two of the sources said.
The units affected in the cutbacks include the 20th and 27th army corps in
the Central Theatre Command, the 14th Army Corps in the Southern Command,
the 16th Army Corps in the north and the 47th in the west, one of the
sources told the South China Morning Post.
The 16th and 47th corps were the power bases of disgraced former vice-
chairmen of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong.
China鈥檚 veteran generals fading out in massive PLA reshuffle
Guo, 74, was jailed for life for corruption in July last year, while Xu died
of cancer at the age of 71 two years ago while in custody on suspicion of
graft.
鈥淭he axing of the 16th and 47th army groups is a decision made by Xi to
further clean up all the pernicious influence left by Guo and Xu, paving the
way for Xi to assign his men amid the ongoing leadership reshuffle ahead of
the party鈥檚 congress in autumn,鈥one of the sources said.
However, another source said the 16th Army Corps could be saved in some form
amid Beijing鈥檚 concerns over South Korea鈥檚 deployment of a US missile
defence system, which created the need for more troops. One possibility
would include merging the 16th and 40th army groups.
鈥淚t鈥檚 possible that some of the army corps will be turned into marines
or parachutists,鈥the source added.
SCMP Pictures
Xi announced the most extensive military overhaul in decades two years ago,
including laying off 300,000 personnel from the 2.3 million-strong PLA by
the end of this year.
The cuts were part of those already announced, sources said. The army has
said it would pay a one-time sum as compensation to affected personnel.
However this year鈥檚 seven per cent increase in the defence budget, the
lowest rise this century, is likely to mean the lay-offs will be spread out
over the next five years, according to two of the sources.
Hundreds of Chinese military veterans stage fresh protests over pensions
Another source close to the PLA said the ongoing redundancies, involving
more than 170,000 senior military officials in non-combat forces, had been
facing huge resistance inside the army.
Many fear they will face the same problems as veterans laid off in previous
shake-ups, who have staged demonstrations in Beijing over the past few
months.
鈥淩ecent massive demonstrations and protests staged by veterans in Beijing
over unpaid pensions and other benefit demands have put the central
leadership under great pressure,鈥the source said.
鈥淪ecurity for this year鈥檚 two annual sessions [of the legislature in
Beijing] was so tight because the authorities were scared that some rabid
veterans might infiltrate the conference hall to do something like
demonstrate, as many of them are well trained.鈥br />
People's Liberation Army soldiers stand guard in front of the Great Hall of
the People during meetings of the National People鈥檚 Congress earlier this
month. Photo: EPA
After the army corps restructuring, the Western Theatre Command, the largest
military region among the five newly established commands, would have only
two army corps.
These would be the 13th and 21st corps stationed in Baoji in Shaanxi
province and Chongqing. They are considered well-equipped troops 颅capable
of combat duties.
The command also includes Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, plus
Xinjiang, Tibet and Ningxia.
China鈥檚 military mounts propaganda push as officers brace for demotions
鈥淭wo army corps in the western military area is enough because China鈥檚
most powerful missile troops in the rocket force are all stationed there,鈥
a source said.
The rocket force is estimated to comprise about 100,000 personnel and six
ballistic missile brigades, equipped with the world鈥檚 longest-range
missile, the DF-41, and other nuclear weapons. | m******u
发帖数: 12400 | | l*******1
发帖数: 16217 | | a******9
发帖数: 20431 | 6 书记在秦城都已经安度晚年了
只有买提索南还日夜惦记着书记有戏 | s***c
发帖数: 1926 | 7 东北被裁掉两个集团军。看样子，不准备管北朝鲜了， |
|
