Foreign media focus on the 14th Five-Year Plan | Jane's Defense: The People's Liberation Army will take a major step towards modernization
Reference News Network reported on November 4 that the British "Jane's Defense Weekly" website reported on November 2 that in its interpretation of the "14th Five-Year Plan", the PLA would take a major step towards modernization.
The full text is extracted as follows:
The Chinese government has drawn up the direction of its efforts to accelerate the development of military technology during the next five-year plan from 2021 to 2025.
A communiqué issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on October 29 stated that a major goal during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period is to "take major steps in the modernization of national defense and the military."
The communiqué said: "We must improve the quality and efficiency of national defense and military modernization, promote the simultaneous improvement of national defense and economic strength, build an integrated national strategic system and capabilities, promote the coordinated development of key regions, key areas, and emerging fields, optimize the layout of defense technology and industry, and consolidate Military and political unity."
The communique also requested the People's Liberation Army to accelerate the "integrated development of mechanization, informationization and intelligence"-that is, the development from platform modernization to the widespread adoption of digital and networked military systems.
The communiqué stated that this process will support China's strategic ability to defend "national sovereignty, security, and development interests" during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.
The communique also stated that this transformation goal should be achieved in 2027, which will be the 100th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army.
In other parts of the communiqué, the Central Committee proposed that by 2035 "major breakthroughs should be achieved in key core technologies", and requested further reforms to improve the quality and efficiency of scientific and technological development.
In the past five years, China has effectively consolidated its national defense industry foundation for pursuing the goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan.
The goal of the "13th Five-Year Plan" from 2016 to 2020 is to restructure China's defense technology industry to make it more globally competitive.
The outcome of the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" is the adjustment and consolidation of industrial structures, as well as the reform of administrative procedures, procurement and contracting mechanisms, with the aim of improving efficiency and encouraging competition.
The "14th Five-Year Plan" is of great significance to China's development of advanced military technology, and will help greatly enhance the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army to support Beijing's strategic goals.
Another important aspect of China's 14th Five-Year Plan is that it was proposed against the background of the severe deterioration of relations between Beijing and Washington.
Deteriorating Sino-US relations are expected to become another motivation for Beijing to develop advanced military technology and acquire civilian technologies that can promote the development of military technology.