PLA Training to Improve Readiness. The CMC sought to improve PLA combat readiness, interoperability, and training through the 14th Five-Year Plan and reinforced these priorities through military training mobilization orders and senior leadership guidance. In 2022, Xi emphasized the need for the PLA to adopt the latest technologies in its training and to focus on integrating training with combat operations The PLA conducted multiple large-scale joint exercises and incorporated advanced weapons and equipment, such as during the exercises around Taiwan in August.
Throughout 2022, the PLA sustained the frequency, scale, and duration of joint exercises. The COVID-19 pandemic likely did not significantly impact the PLA’s ability to conduct joint exercises. The PLA successfully completed at least eight bilateral and multinational exercises, conducting naval drills, maritime and aerial patrols, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. Although the PLA has improved some combat deficiencies, the force, as a whole, probably continues to work through challenges with joint operations, command and control, and tactical and small-unit leadership.
The largest unplanned event of the year occurred in August 2022, when the PLA conducted livefire drills—including firing ballistic missiles over Taiwan—in response to the CODEL visit to Taipei in August 2022. During the visit, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that 27 PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, including 22 that crossed the median of the Taiwan Strait. The PLA’s centerline crossings have continued since August as the PLA maintains a heightened readiness level. Such activity reflects ongoing PLA attempts to normalize median line crossings.
INCREASING OPERABILITY WITH PLA RESERVES, PARAMILITARY & MILITIA
Key Takeaways
- Interoperability and integration between the PLA, its reserve components, and the PRC’s paramilitary forces continue to grow in scale and sophistication, including the coordination between the PLAN, the China Coast Guard (CCG), and the China Maritime Militia (CMM).
- The PRC primarily uses paramilitary maritime organizations in maritime disputes, selectively using the PLAN to provide overwatch in case of escalation.
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China
