China denies plans to downsize military

China has no plans to reduce its military personnel, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

A senior officer at the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) dismissed media reports that up to 800,000 PLA personnel could be discharged.

China will keep its armed forces within the limits necessary to maintain state security, he said.

The PLA’s current size of 2.3 million is “appropriate,” the officer said.

BEIJING, May 7 (RIA Novosti)

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