Agence France Presse

Beijing, July 15:

The Chinese army’s plan to downsize by 200,000 troops by the end of this year is proceeding

“smoothly,” although not all units are abiding by the plan, state media warned today. China revealed two years ago its intention to cut the People’s Liberation Army by 200,000 troops to 2.3 million by the end of 2005 in an effort to streamline the force’s structure. “The plan has been progressing, but not all military units have abided by the restructuring plan,” Zang Guoqing, head of the army affairs department at the PLA headquarters, was quoted by Liberation Army Daily.