China’s New Law Forces Military Training On Children

(IntegrityPress.org) – The Chinese government is currently considering a new piece of legislation that would see children trained in military skills from the time they are in elementary school.

Schoolchildren can expect to receive instruction in military theory and in more practical skills associated with “national defense”. According to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Chinese youth are already enthusiastic supporters of the country’s military, with 1.2 million Chinese university students enrolled in some form of military service. The Chinese Communist Party is keen to encourage this and offers many financial incentives for young people to join the military.

The proposed legislation would expand the number of young people in China with military knowledge and skills. Rather than waiting for university students to enroll, Beijing would be able to enact mandatory training for college and high school students. Middle school and younger children would focus more on theory but would also be trained in some basic skills. The aim is to encourage patriotism while making the population more ready and willing to serve in the armed forces.

The legislation would formalize the training already undertaken in some schools across the country. Some university and high school students are already required by their administrations to take part in military drills featuring rocket launchers, grenades, and tanks. It would also require that schools set aside defense budgets for such training. The PLA has deep coffers and many school administrators will want to impress the army with their school’s military training in order to secure better funding, according to Japanese National Institute for Defense Studies’ Iida Masafumi.

As well as teaching youngsters the use of more familiar weapons such as grenades, Beijing is looking to improve its military skills for the future. The PLA is reported to be looking at ways to improve its high-tech capabilities. By encouraging youth recruitment, particularly amongst students, it hopes to be able to improve its standing in the fields of artificial intelligence, space technology, and robotics.