President Xi Jinping’s army is not fit for purpose warns one insider after a tragic setback a few years back sparked a massive audit.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) lacks crucial combat experience, especially in contemporary warfare, casting doubt over their ability to win any future wars, they claim.
The PLA insider admitted: “The painful lesson in South Sudan exposed one of our greatest vulnerabilities – an almost complete lack of combat experience,” referring to an incident in which Chinese troops were killed while seeking refuge on a UN peacekeeping mission in 2016.
China’s official narrative painted the incident as a testament to its emergence as a global power, ready to bear substantial responsibilities. However, within the PLA’s high command, the episode unfolded as a glaring disaster, laying bare the dearth of combat experience plaguing the military.
“Our ability to fight a modern war and our officers’ ability to command are both lacking,” confessed Lieutenant-General He Lei, a seasoned PLA commander, echoing the insider’s critique of President Xi’s army.
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Xi, recognising the urgency of addressing this critical issue, initiated the most comprehensive overhaul of the PLA in over six decades. “We can’t go to war to increase our combat experience, right?” questioned General He Lei, highlighting the dilemma faced by the PLA in honing its military prowess.
The Chinese leader, unyielding in his critique, identified the PLA’s weaknesses with “Two Inabilities” and “Five Incapables”, pointing out the military’s ineptitude in modern warfare and the commanders’ deficiencies in decision-making.
“I’ve been a soldier for more than 50 years, and I’ve never been to war,” said General He Lei, emphasising the urgent need for a shift in the PLA’s approach to combat readiness.
However, recent developments have cast shadows on Xi’s vision. Drawing inspiration from Russia’s battalion tactical groups (BTGs), the PLA faced setbacks when flaws in Russia’s BTGs were exposed.
PLA Daily, the army’s news website, agreed that Russia’s military strategy needed to be reconsidered. It wrote: “Deficiencies of Russia’s battalion tactical groups have been exposed one after another, such as poor self-sufficiency in combat and inadequate logistical support.”
The lack of effective combat training and doubts regarding the realism of recent exercises persist, challenging the PLA’s ability to adapt swiftly to modern warfare. However, PLA Daily argued: “As we focus on real combat, exercises have become more realistic, pitting PLA troops against others simulating American or NATO tactics.”
Xi Jinping and the PLA are now racing against time to transform into a force ready to face the challenges of 21st-century warfare, so they are not caught short again.
