Conor Kennedy
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) implements its development programs in five-year plans, reflecting the approach taken by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government to overall development. It is currently implementing its 14th Five-Year Plan, which was drafted near the conclusion of the 13th. [1] The PLAN’s development of major new platforms, such as the rapid pace at which it has launched new warships, has received the most attention from analysts. Less visible is the modernization of logistics that has occurred behind the scenes and that underpins and supports those new capabilities. PLAN logistics have undergone extensive development and continue to receive top-level leadership attention. According to PLAN sources, the 13th Five-Year Plan was a transformative period that reshaped the naval logistics system to better focus on becoming joint, lean, and efficient. [2]
An analysis of achievements made during the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan can shed light on the prospects for successful implementation of the current plan. Official PLAN sources typically offer a summary of such progress, including the major logistics achievements touted by the PLAN in its previous five-year plan. PRC President and Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of his military’s logistics meeting his development goals, calling on the PLA to “build all the logistics necessary for war” (建设一切为了打仗的后勤) (China Military Online, September 26, 2022).
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