The new rules will come into effect from next month.
Beijing:
China has issued a new set of revised rules for military recruitment in wartime, including prioritizing veterans, drafting high-potential troops and optimizing recruitment procedures, which one analyst has said could be aimed at war on Taiwan. Described as preparing for war.
A set of revised regulations regarding military recruitment has been issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission (CMC) – the high command of the Chinese military headed by President Xi Jinping – to strengthen national defense and build a strong armed The target to provide was reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
A brief report said that with 74 articles in 11 chapters, the new regulation focuses on recruiting more high caliber soldiers, standardizing and optimizing recruitment procedures and improving the efficiency of the system.
The new rules will come into effect from next month.
The rules state that recruitment should “focus on combat readiness” and increase efficiency by calling for “high caliber” recruits, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
For the first time, a separate chapter on wartime recruitment has been included in the rules, which states that ex-servicemen will be given priority and will be expected to join their parent units or in similar positions.
The new rules were drawn up as Beijing faces geopolitical tensions on several fronts including the South China Sea, particularly the Taiwan Strait, according to reports.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) made new ground in its latest drills around Taiwan, testing its ability to blockade the self-ruled island.
The three-day exercise ended on Monday after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway province. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to reunite the self-ruled island with the mainland.
China views any official exchanges between foreign governments and Taiwan as a violation of Beijing’s sovereignty claims over the island.
Although the exercises ended, the PLA maintained a substantial presence in the Taiwan Strait, keeping Taipei on tenterhooks. During a visit to the PLA’s Southern Theater Command on Wednesday, President Xi stressed the importance of accelerating the transformation into a modern fighting force through “real war-oriented exercises” and innovative battle concepts.
He asked the military to resolutely defend China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and strive to maintain the overall stability of neighboring regions amid rising tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
China claims almost all of the disputed South China Sea, although Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
Chinese and Indian troops are locked in a nearly three-year-old standoff at some friction points in eastern Ladakh, even as both sides have completed the withdrawal of troops from several areas after extensive diplomatic and military talks.
India says that until there is peace in the border areas, its relations with China cannot be normal.
Explaining the addition of a “wartime recruitment” chapter to the military regulations, a CMC official said, “To ensure normal replacement of troops and supplemental needs of troops in wartime, the rules refer to common practices of various countries ..and set up a special chapter to regulate the issue of wartime recruitment.” The Post reports that citizens who receive a recruitment notice during wartime must go to a designated place on time to enlist or face punishment.
During wartime, the rules state that the State Council and the CMC may adjust the terms and methods of recruitment “within the scope prescribed by law”, leaving room for further changes.
The Post reports that the amendment is part of continued efforts by Beijing to adjust and reform its legal system to better support the wartime order in the face of growing geopolitical pressure, while increasing its military presence in the Taiwan Strait. is increasing.
In February, Chinese lawmakers approved a resolution giving the military the power to change how criminal procedure law is applied during wartime, to “protect and improve military missions”. [the PLA’s] The ability to win in battle”.
Xie Dan, a Beijing-based military law expert, said the amendment filled a gap in China’s wartime law, but was also motivated by the need for military preparedness against Taiwan.
Xi told the Post, “The anti-secession law clarifies the conditions for resolving the Taiwan issue through non-peaceful means. The reform of relevant military regulations is undoubtedly one of the important contents of the current military preparations.”
He said that China’s military laws – especially those relating to wartime – have become a “weak point” in the decades of peace since China was last involved in war.
In addition to its 2021 amendment to the Military Service Law, Beijing also amended the Reservist Law in December to improve the development of reserve forces, which refers to pre-designated civilians who will become important components of the PLA during wartime.
According to Xi, the new recruitment regulations provide more operational and detailed rules for wartime mobilization. He said that the priority of veterans was necessary because of their skill and experience in handling hi-tech weapons.
PLA recruitment also focuses on college students and graduates, especially those with science and engineering backgrounds, to meet Xi’s goal of building a world-class military by 2050.
Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, downplayed the implications of the rule change for any possible military action by Beijing. The goal of the amendment was to “enhance the legalization of recruitment work” as part of military reforms, he told the Post.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)