Advertisement
Open QuestionsChina’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with the US: retired PLA colonel Zhou Bo
Prominent commentator shares insights on the PLA’s 2027 goal, competition with the US, the Taiwan issue and the peacetime dilemma
13-MIN READ13-MIN
76
Listen
Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, and the author of the book Should the World Fear China? This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is approaching its 2027 centenary, a major benchmark set by Beijing to achieve military modernisation. What is that goal actually about?
China has set two major military goals: one [is for the] centenary of the PLA in 2027 and another [is for the centenary] of the People’s Republic of China in 2049.
Between those two milestones, China aims to basically achieve the modernisation of its national defence and armed forces by 2035. That means the PLA would not yet be fully modernised by 2027 by China’s own high standard.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice