China plans to increase the size of its marine corps five-fold, from 20,000 personnel to 100,000, the South China Morning Post reports.
The move is intended to protect China's territorial waters as well as it's interests throughout the world, the news site said. China has come under criticism from its Asian neighbors and from the United States for the construction of man-made islands in disputed waters that it claims as its own. Satellite images have shown what experts believe to be military activity on the islands.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says the People's Liberation Army wil be cut by 300,000, mostly from land forces, as part of the effort to refocus China's military, the SCMP reported.
"The PLA marines will be increased to 100,000, consisting of six brigades in the coming future to fulfil new missions of our country," the SCMP quoted one source.
"China is a maritime country and as we defend our maritime rights and develop our interests, the status of the navy will be more important," Liu Xiaojiang, former navy political commissar, said.
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