PLA Overhauls Mass Training Competitions for Modern Warfare

The People’s Liberation Army has unveiled a sweeping transformation of its mass training competition system, shifting from elite-focused contests to a universal, technology-enabled framework designed to enhance combat readiness across all branches. The reforms, detailed in a comprehensive report published on June 20, 2026, by PLA Daily and carried by People’s Daily and the Ministry of National Defense, represent a significant phase in China’s military modernization under President Xi Jinping’s vision of building a world-class military by 2027.

A Return to Mass Participation

President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of solidifying training foundations, stating that the military must “train every soldier, every type of equipment, and every category of combat element to standard, and consolidate the foundation for winning wars.” His directive underpins five major transformations reshaping how the PLA approaches training competitions.

The most fundamental shift is from “few elite” to “full participation.” At the Naval Aviation University, instructor Lü qualified for the teaching competition finals under new selection rules that eliminated so-called “competition specialists.” The base overhauled its criteria, making practical combat skill the sole standard for advancement, replacing the previous emphasis on seniority and experience.

Corporal Li Jiawei of the 72nd Group Army described the change vividly: “In the past, I always felt the competition field was the exclusive stage for training elites. Now every comrade can find their own track.” His unit implemented a “multi-track” competition model that categorizes participants by role and ability, allowing veterans and newcomers to compete within their own brackets.

From Separate Training to System-of-Systems Confrontation

The reforms mark a decisive move away from isolated, unit-specific training toward integrated joint operations. The PLA is transitioning from “fighting separately” to “system-of-systems confrontation,” reflecting lessons drawn from modern conflicts where coordinated multi-domain operations are essential.

A Navy unit recently coordinated with neighboring Air Force units for joint training in maritime waters, while an Army unit conducted red-vs-blue force exercises in the Gobi Desert. After intense confrontation, officers from both sides gathered to discuss new tactics and training methods. As the PLA Daily noted, the shift from “closing the door to train alone” to “opening the door to find opponents” is broadening the path for mass training competitions.

Technology and Realism Take Center Stage

The transformation from “traditional physical” to “technology-empowered” training is perhaps the most striking feature of the reforms. At the Armed Police Falcon Commando Unit’s drone challenge competition, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft precisely identified targets, racing drones navigated obstacle courses, and large drones completed munitions loading and precision drops.

The PLA Military Modeling Competition has provided over 10,000 solutions to grassroots units, with hundreds applied directly to training, command, and equipment improvement. The “Joint Victory” Teaching Innovation Competition featured AI and VR-integrated teaching achievements, while the “Strong Equipment Cup” Equipment Management Innovation Competition gathered thousands of innovations from all services and branches, showcasing hundreds of grassroots “small innovations, small inventions, and small creations.”

Realism has become a rigid benchmark. The Xinjiang Military District organized a 24-hour continuous assessment covering over 10 subjects, including map navigation, battlefield protection, and night shooting. The Southern Theater Command Air Force, facing the challenge of widely dispersed radar stations, launched a “cloud arena” using video conferencing systems, allowing soldiers stationed at different locations to compete remotely.

Historical Roots and Strategic Significance

The mass training competition tradition dates back to 1964, when Chairman Mao Zedong personally endorsed the “Grand Military Competition” inspired by the Guo Xingfu Teaching Method. The 1964 competition involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers and produced legendary marksmen like Song Shizhe, whose performance prompted Mao to famously examine his rifle. After being criticized during the Cultural Revolution, the 1964 competition has since been rehabilitated as a model of military excellence.

Today’s reforms align with Xi Jinping’s broader military modernization agenda, which has included a major restructuring of the PLA command structure in 2015, the establishment of the Rocket Force and Strategic Support Force in 2016, and a 300,000-troop reduction while increasing technological capabilities. The centenary goal of building a world-class military by 2027 provides the strategic timeline for these training innovations.

What to Watch

The reforms raise important questions about implementation across units with varying resource levels and the metrics being used to measure effectiveness. The balance between mass participation and the need for specialized elite units remains a key challenge. However, the direction is clear: the PLA is building a training system that is more inclusive, more realistic, and more technologically sophisticated than ever before, with potential implications for regional military balances in the Indo-Pacific.

As the PLA Daily summarized, “a wave of training competitions returning to mass participation, moving toward actual combat, and advancing toward intelligentization is flourishing across the entire military.”