China to cut 300,000 troops for ‘slimmer, more capable’ armed forces

During a military parade marking 70 years since the end of World War II, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would cut 300,000 soldiers from the country’s 2-million-strong armed forces.

The reduction is meant to modernize the People’s Liberation Army and make it stronger, the Defense Ministry said in a statement reported by the Xinhua news agency.

“The Chinese armed forces will be slimmer but more capable, and their composition will be more scientific,” the ministry said, adding it would not affect China’s ability to protect itself.

This is the fourth time since the 1980s that the Communist nation is cutting its military numbers, reported Reuters.

It will help the military shift its resources from land to sea and air, and be accompanied by phasing out its outdated equipment. The adjustments will be completed by 2017, the ministry said.

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