China's Xi says military must be smaller, but more capable

Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews the army lined at Tiananmen Square at the beginning of the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2015 REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's armed forces must be smaller but more capable, and if reforms are not properly carried out the military risks falling behind, affecting its ability to wage war, Chinese state media on Saturday cited President Xi Jinping as saying.

Xi unexpectedly announced in September last year that he would cut troop numbers by 300,000, or some 13 percent of the world's biggest military, currently 2.3-million strong.