TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has planted younger military echelons at the 20th National Congress, which wrapped up over the weekend, a move that reflects its efforts to beef up preparedness, said Taiwan’s top defense official.
The new list of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Military Commission (CMC) consists of new faces that are younger but experienced talents who have risen through the ranks and can be fostered, said Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) at the sidelines of a legislative briefing on Monday (Oct. 24).
Except for the re-elected CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠), a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general born in 1950, many of the members were born between 1955 and 1964, he observed. Another vice chairman, the newly-elected He Weidong (何衛東), served as commander of the Eastern Theater Command between 2019 and 2022, and was responsible for matters that included the Taiwan Strait.
The cadres hail from PLA Ground Force, Navy, and Rocket Force, some boasting expertise in aerospace science, he said, adding “it appears the CCP is boosting its preparedness,” CNA quoted him as saying. Chiu said Taiwan is also adjusting its military personnel deployment, but no major changes are expected.
A report released by the U.S. National Defense University last month pointed out some of the potential weaknesses facing the Chinese military. They included a lack of cross-training, less overseas experience, and older ages among the four-star ranks compared to their U.S. counterparts, wrote CNN.
