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China’s military lays out technology road map to catch up with the US
- PLA must keep pace with the times and emphasise smart technologies according to senior leaders
- China’s ‘defence capabilities do not match its status in the international community or its national security needs’, analyst says
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China must apply cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence if it wants to transform its military into a modern fighting force on a par with those of other leading powers, according to new guidelines and comments from senior leaders.
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The statements come from a booklet published this month by the state-run People’s Publishing House, in which senior officials, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, outlined the latest five-year plan for the country’s development.
According to a communique released after a high-level meeting last month, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will be transformed into a modern military force by 2027. Analysts say China’s aim is to build an army that is on a par with that of the United States.
In an article titled “Speed up the Modernisation of Defence and Military” from the booklet, Xu Qiliang, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of smart technologies in modernising the PLA.
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The military had to be more proactive in designing how war was fought, rather than just responding to conflicts, he said.
“[China has to] keep pace with the developments of the times and emphasise the use of smart technologies to achieve interdisciplinary innovation,” Xu said.
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