"We have also introduced measures to cultivate such a spirit among our officers and soldiers," he said, adding that his brigade has established a system to encourage marines to improve their capabilities.
Wang said his brigade spends four months a year conducting field training and exercises including two months of exercises at sea.
He said the brigade sets a high standard for the marines' physical training.
"Each male soldier in my brigade must swim 3,000 meters in the sea carrying his weapon and other equipment to pass our swimming test," the commandant said, adding that one of the soldiers once swam nearly 10 kilometers with a full load from 7 am to 2 pm.
The history of the Chinese marine corps can be traced to 1953, when the PLA activated a marine corps regiment, according to Western publications. However, the corps embarked on a rocky road in its development in the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1980, the PLA reorganized the marine corps and founded a marine brigade.
"Now, our marine corps has been equipped with a number of the PLA's most advanced weapons and is able to perform a wide range of complicated tasks, including underwater approach and clandestine landings, fast-roping from helicopters and deploying from a submarine," Wang said.
It has also been equipped with electronic warfare apparatus, Wang said.
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