The Chinese People's Liberation Army may have set a new goal of ensuring military power equivalent to that of U.S. forces in Asia's western Pacific region by 2027, sources close to the matter have said.
Beijing's recent expansion of military activities in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait may be part of its efforts to achieve the goal for the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the country's armed forces in 2027, the Chinese sources said Friday.
A communique adopted at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party in late October unveiled that a military goal was set for the anniversary, but the details were unknown.