Power Play
Amid growing uncertainty, PLA to step up pace of revamp
The term ‘bei zhan’, or prepare for war, has found its way into China’s five-year development blueprints as the Chinese leadership responds to an increasingly hostile external environment.

China's Fifth Plenum meeting of its communist elite ended as expected last month - after four days of secret meetings in the Chinese capital, out came a communique packed with socialist jargon devoted mainly to the outlines of the country's future development priorities.
But buried also in the 6,000-plus character read-out were the two Chinese characters "bei zhan", or prepare for war.
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