Xi Jinping has outlined milestones for China’s “great rejuvenation.” By 2027, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the PLA’s founding, China aims to achieve key military modernization goals, including advancements in mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization. By 2035, the goal is to complete the full modernization of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and establish China as a global leader in science, technology, and culture. By 2049, the centenary of the People’s Republic of China, the government aspires to build a “modern socialist country” with a world-class military, capable of global power projection.

The PLA plays a central role in China’s national strategy, focusing on joint operational capabilities across land, air, sea, nuclear, space, and cyberspace domains. It is designed to counter strong adversaries like the United States, address regional challenges, and expand China’s global influence. Recent reforms have streamlined the PLA’s structure, introduced advanced systems, giving rise to a leaner, professional, and more mobile force. The changes will be essential for China to project power far from its shores; however, logistical challenges, commander proficiency, and urban warfare still stand as conspicuous vulnerabilities in the modernization effort.