Chinese leader defends contract army

- The Chinese leader Xi Jinping has defended the plan to downsize the armed forces of his country sharply. Transforming the military into a smaller and more effective organization, according to Xi necessary because otherwise the forces threatening to aging.

Xi unexpectedly announced in September last year to significantly turn the knife in the army, which has about 2.3 million troops. About 300 000 soldiers lose their jobs, according to the plans. This led to tensions among soldiers. Thus, even by hundreds of people demonstrated in October in Beijing.

However, the Chinese leader does not intend to reverse the reform. Xi warned according to Chinese state media reported that military forces must move with the times. He rather focuses on developing new military technologies than keep it on the leg of large numbers of soldiers. ' This is a great, inevitable change, '' said the leader.