Chinese military academics have stepped up calls to overhaul defence language training, arguing that linguistic proficiency has become as critical as firepower in modern warfare – a lesson starkly underscored by the Ukraine war. Among them is Lu Danyun, a professor at the military-affiliated National University of Defence Technology and a representative on China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress. In a report published in the official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper,...