Chinese military short of troops trained in hi-tech operations, PLA Daily reveals in rare show of candour
- Vice-captain of corvette yet to complete training test, military paper says, confirming reports of a lingering talent shortage, especially in the navy
- In another first, the report cites ‘training resources imbalance’ and ship maintenance as reasons for the backlog holding up many promotions
The admission, in a recent media report, highlights a core problem as China speeds up the modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army – a lack of hi-tech expertise limiting state-of-the-art equipment from use to its full extent, especially in the navy.
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The vice-captain of the Zhangye – a Type 056 corvette – had not completed an important training assessment, military mouthpiece PLA Daily said in a report last week.
While the report did not specify when the assessment had been due, it said the delay was caused by either ship maintenance or scheduling conflicts.
The vice-captain, named in the report as Wang Yubing, is but one of several naval soldiers whose training has been held up.
This has left the PLA Navy short of adequately skilled personnel to operate newly enlisted ships and hi-tech hardware, a situation framed by the report as “equipment awaiting talent”.
