It is the second time in over half a century that the term “bei zhan”, or prepare for war, has found its way into one of China’s five-year development blueprints. While Chinese President Xi Jinping has used similar language before, enshrining the term into the Fifth Plenum communique and the 14th Five-Year Plan takes it a step further, said Dr Collin Koh, a Research Fellow at the RSIS. “It now takes the form of a concrete resolution for the PLA (People’s Liberation Army),” said Dr Koh, adding that this will mean there will be added emphasis on both realistic training – moving away from scripted field exercises and war games – and modernisation of the military.