A senior Chinese general has called for the military to be prepared to “live a tight life” and cut costs on multiple fronts in an elaboration of the 15th five-year plan.

The reader is a collection of articles by senior officials to elaborate on the policy recommendations issued by the party.

In the article, Qiu, whose office is responsible for helping President Xi Jinping manage various military units, called for a higher-quality, more efficient, and sustainable development model for military modernisation.

The article said the military should improve its military procurement system and reduce the costs of training, management and equipment support. It also called on the military to be prepared to “live a tight life”.

The article stated that efficient development and innovation were key measures to gain the strategic advantage in international military competition.