The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China showcased its logistical support capability in a grand military parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China Thursday morning.

The first-ever logistical equipment phalanx appearing in the parade highlighted the PLA's state-of-the-art vehicles for field operations, including those for surgical operation, staple food cooking, water purification, gas filling and platforms for heavy-duty equipment.

The formation made by an armored division of the Beijing Military Command represents the PLA's second-generation logistical equipment.

Under the Outline for Building a Modern Logistics System promulgated by the Central Military Commission in December 2007, the PLA has aimed to acquire the full capability of providing logistic support to emergency operations by 2010 and to complete the task of building a modernized logistical system by 2020.

A primary task for the present and in the near future, says the outline, is to make sure that the PLA is capable of winning a local war of the information age, to advance the integration of tri-service logistical support, to deepen reforms in joint logistics and to speed up the outsourcing process.

In April 2007 the Jinan Military Command formally adopted the joint logistics system based on the integration of tri-service logistical support.

In an effort to facilitate the outsourcing process, the PLA has started to out-source the commercial and housing services of combat units stationed in large and medium-sized cities, general-purpose materials storage, capital construction, logistical equipment production and logistical technical services.

It also enlarged the scope of centralized procurement, increased the proportion of procurement through bidding, and extended centralized procurement to non-combat units so as to improve capital use efficiency.

(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2009)