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China to reduce military strength by 300,000

by IBNS 02 Sep 2015, 11:26 pm

Beijing, Sep 3 (IBNS) President Xi Jinping of China announced on Thursday that he would cut down the size of the country's military personnel by 300,000, The New York Times said.

Jinping's announcement came during his speech at a programme marking 70 years since the end of World War II to present the People's Liberation Army as a force for peace and regional stability.

"I announce that China will reduce military personnel numbers by 300,000," he said.

The Chinese military now has more than 2 million personnel as measures are being taken for  accelerated modernization of the armed forces, which would shift spending from the traditional land forces to more advanced sea and air forces.

But the  President  described the cut as a gesture of peace at a time when China's neighbors have grown increasingly worried about its territorial claims and military strength.