Defense & StrategyAnalysis

China's Defense Ministry Outlines Push for Military Modernization

Spokesperson Chen Xi details PLA priorities on intelligent warfare and combat readiness following a Politburo study session.

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Side view Asian military troop in khaki uniform including white gloves and helmets marching with rifles in army
Photo by Somchai Kongkamsri on Pexels

The Brief

China's Ministry of National Defense outlined key priorities for advancing military modernization following a Politburo collective study session on defense development. Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Chen Xi stated that the People's Liberation Army will accelerate the development of an intelligent military system, enhance integrated operational capabilities, and strengthen combat readiness. The ministry emphasized upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and improving military governance to provide strategic support for national development goals.

Why it matters

The remarks clarify the Chinese military's core development priorities, highlighting a continued transition toward intelligentized warfare, integrated system-of-systems combat capabilities, and strengthened political control across the armed forces.

China context

The statement aligns closely with Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military and the political army-building strategy in the new era, framing defense modernization as an essential pillar for safeguarding Chinese modernization and national rejuvenation.

Editor's View

EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting. The defense ministry's statement demonstrates how Beijing conceptualizes military modernization as an integrated tri-part fusion of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization. By pairing advanced capability development with civil-military coordination and military governance, Chinese leadership is reinforcing that organizational and institutional mechanisms are just as critical to PLA modernization as hardware and technological acquisition.

What to watch

  • Specific implementation directives across PLA service branches focusing on intelligentized systems and integrated training.
  • Policy developments and regulatory rollouts regarding military governance and civil-military coordination.

Key Takeaways

  • 1MND spokesperson Chen Xi outlined military priorities following the Politburo's 27th collective study session on defense modernization.
  • 2The PLA plans to accelerate the development of an intelligent military system and enhance integrated combat readiness.
  • 3The ministry stressed upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and advancing military governance alongside civil-military coordination.
China's Ministry of National Defense announced that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will push for decisive progress in national defense and military modernization, according to a briefing reported by China Military Online. Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Chen Xi addressed reporters regarding how the military plans to implement directives delivered by Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the 27th collective study session of the CCP Central Committee Politburo, which focused on the high-quality advancement of national defense and armed forces modernization. Chen outlined several core operational and structural priorities for the military. He stated that the armed forces will accelerate the effective supply of advanced combat capabilities and gradually construct an intelligent military system. The PLA also aims to strengthen the integration of its operational capability systems and firmly advance military training and war preparedness. According to the spokesperson, national defense modernization entails the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization while preserving the nature, purpose, and character of the armed forces. Chen emphasized that the entire military will maintain the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, and implement the political army-building strategy. Chen also underscored the importance of enhancing military governance and mobilizing both military and civilian resources. These initiatives, he noted, are intended to maintain steady progress in defense modernization and provide strategic support for China's broader national development and rejuvenation goals.