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In a surprise development, a top Chinese military general has cast aspersions on the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s much-publicised 'real combat-oriented exercises' as 'fake combat capabilities' at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered it to prepare for 'maritime military struggles' to win wars.
The remarks by General He Weidong, the second-ranked vice-chairman of China's powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the three Armed Forces headed by Xi, during a discussion with a PLA delegation on Tuesday, according to minutes of the meeting made available to media.
Though it was just one line -- Gen He called for a crackdown on 'fake combat capabilities' in the military -- military analysts say the remark by a top official in the backdrop of the recent purges carried out by Xi, questions the authenticity of the real-time combat exercises as insisted by Xi since he took over power in 2012-13 and the quality of the equipment, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Saturday.
Xi recently sacked Defence Minister Gen Li Shangfu last year, which was followed by the removal of another nine senior generals, many of them from the key Rocket Force, which operates the country's missile forces.
Since Xi took over, the Chinese military, at all levels, is carrying out real-time drills splitting forces into two groups to test their combat skills.
Analysts say the message from Gen He, China's number three military official, was 'brief and ambiguous', but could relate to the procurement of flawed equipment, and also deception among the ranks during training.
The Chinese government early this week hiked the defence budget by 7.2 per cent to $232 billion as it continues with the massive modernisation of its military amid prevailing tensions over Taiwan, the disputed South China Sea as well as border frictions with India and increasing rivalry with the US.
China is the second largest spender after the US, whose military budget last year was $886 billion.
Fu Qianshao, a former equipment expert with the PLA, said He appeared to be partly referring to the procurement of flawed weapons, which could affect the military's combat capabilities.
"The weapons and equipment should reach the technical standards. So, counterfeiting will surely have an impact on how they function," he told the Post.
'Fake combat capabilities' could also refer to 'fake' drills that do not reach the standards required, such as 'night exercises' being conducted around sunset -- something military mouthpiece PLA Daily has reported about in recent years, the Post said.
Xi, who heads the ruling Communist Party and has the Presidency, places a premium on the combat readiness of the military as its battle readiness has not been tested in recent decades.
For his part, Xi has called hi-tech integration of the armed forces, which is vital to joint operations.
Xi also ordered the PLA to prepare for "maritime military struggles" and protect maritime rights, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
"The preparation for the military struggle at sea, the defence of maritime rights and interests and the development of the maritime economy must be integrated," he said, adding, 'Strategic capabilities in emerging areas are an important part of national strategies and are of great significance to the country'.
During the PLA discussion at the parliament in Beijing on Tuesday, there was more emphasis on loyalty to Xi than in previous years, according to the Post report.
Earlier, Xi's anti-corruption drive also targeted the military with dozens of top generals either sacked or investigated in the last 10 years.
Besides the sacking of nine generals, the government also removed three senior executives from the state-owned aerospace and defence sector from the top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in December.
The PLA, meanwhile, is under pressure to boost combat readiness, with President Xi calling for the military to step up 'real combat' exercises and training to prepare for 'stormy seas' ahead at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and rivalry with the United States is heating up.
Fu, the former PLA equipment specialist, said He's comments also hinted at the problems with training, and that it 'should be conducted according to the actual combat requirements -- it must not become a show'.