Targets outlined for new round of military cuts

The military cuts President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday will mainly target "troops equipped with outdated armaments, administrative staff and noncombatant personnel", Ministry of National Defense spokesman Yang Yujun said at a news conference in Beijing.

The decision to cut 300,000 troops will be the country's fourth such major reduction since the 1980s.

The reduction will be completed by the end of 2017 in order to optimize the structure of Chinese forces, Yang said.