The Chinese government has made an additional move that has become the latest indicator the communist regime is preparing for a massive global conflict — likely with the United States, and one that could begin over Taiwan.
This week, Beijing announced changes to its conscription policy, stating that in the event of China entering a state of war, veterans and educated college students would be given priority for the draft, Fox News reported.
The recent changes to China’s conscription policy have been presented as a move to modernize the People’s Liberation Army and enhance its combat capabilities. However, the decision to prioritize educated college students and veterans for drafting in the event of a war goes against not only Western conscription practices but also China’s historical conscription policy, the news outlet continued.
“It fits into the context of PLA modernization,” Heino Klinck, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia and military attaché to China, told the news outlet. “The PLA has historically been a military based on conscripts from the countryside. I think Chinese President Xi Jinping is trying to further bolster his communist bona fide by ensuring that all segments of Chinese society are a part of the national military buildup.”
China has already established military departments in several of its top universities, allowing students to combine their academic studies with military training. According to a top official in China’s Central Military Commission, colleges and universities are playing a vital role in military recruitment, with a particular emphasis on female and male students or graduates who have a background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
China has also announced plans to introduce a new standardized recruitment process, which will include measures to enhance the physical, mental, and political evaluations of potential recruits. The goal is to recruit more high-quality soldiers and provide institutional support for strengthening national defense and building a strong military force, according to a statement released by the government on Wednesday, cited by Fox News Digital.
Klinck stated that the changes to China’s conscription policies were not unexpected, but the timing has raised some concerns.
“I don’t know what’s worse: that they are tone-deaf or are they intentionally messaging?” he said.
The announcement about China’s revisions to its conscription policies came at a time when top U.S. lawmakers made a trip to Taiwan as a show of deterrence against Chinese aggression. The lawmakers’ trip coincided with a visit by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the U.S. where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Fox News Digital noted.
“Beijing responded by launching large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island — similar to drills it launched last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei,” the outlet added.
