ABSTRACT
Highly educated, properly trained, and motivated personnel are the heart of a modern army. Since the late 1990s, the PLA has made great efforts to attract and retain the kind of people needed to operate and maintain its more technologically advanced weapons and equipment as well as plan and execute its new military doctrine. In the process, the Chinese military has made changes to its personnel system and the training and education systems for conscripts, NCOs, and officers. In particular, the force is in the process of rebalancing the number of conscripts with NCOs, and NCOs with officers. In both cases NCOs are assuming more duties and responsibilities than in previous years.
