The Chinese PLA @ 99…
| AUTHOR | Anushka Saxena |
| DATE | August 3, 2026 |
| CATEGORIES | China Defence Geostrategy |
The pomp and show of the 99th anniversary celebrations of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on August 1, 2026, serve as a useful reminder of the stark challenges the force still faces before it can achieve its centenary vision and milestones for 2027. Particularly, three stand out from the discussions held during the Politburo collective study session on July 30, on the day of the celebrations, and in commentaries published in the aftermath: slow speed of “intelligentisation,” “official airs” and the problem of military graft and “privilege,” and inability of the force to prioritise quality over quantity. Not to mention, headwinds created by the West’s sustained tech denial efforts, as well as the curbs put on defence SOEs by the US’s many lists, complicate the trajectory further.
In this regard, it is important to remember two aspects of what the 2027 modernisation agenda entails for the PLA, and where its combat preparedness efforts actually bite. The first aspect is the creation of a force that has the capability to be sustainably deployed for grey-zone operations, long-range patrols, and long-term operations. As articulated in an explainer published by Xinhua on August 3, the goal is to leap from “raising troops for a thousand days to use them for one day,” to “raising troops for a thousand days to use them for a thousand days.” The second aspect is that of “self-reliance” in “capability”: building indigenous defence technologies suitable for combat efficacy in a potential Taiwan scenario, but also in terms of, say, long-range deterrents, EW/ fiber-optic/ FPV capabilities through drones or ground-based electro-optical deterrents, and a talented force leveraging both military and civilian scientific capacities.
The 2027 milestone, or the “Centenary Goal of the PLA,” is more than just about a demonstration of the ability to fight and win wars. It is, as was initially conceptualised, an exercise for bridging certain necessary capability gaps to move towards the eventual mid-century goal of building a “world-class military.” In this regard, as the PLA celebrates 99 years since its founding, it is important to note that while operationally, an invasion is possible tomorrow, the sustained strategy of consistent modernisation and militarisation is the threat to look out and prepare for, especially for decision-makers sitting in Washington and Delhi.