Frontier defense soldiers assigned to a border defense regiment with the Shannan Military Sub-command under the PLA Tibet Military Command patrol the snow-blanketed border at the elevation of over 5,000 meters in Tibet Autonomous Region on January 23, 2021. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Zhaojie)

Under a nationwide upgrade program, more than 700 Chinese frontier outposts have connected to the national power grid, a move experts said on Sunday that has boosted the Chinese military's capabilities in border defense, including improving the living conditions of troops and the deployment of advanced, power-consuming weapons and equipment.

The Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission has worked together with the National Energy Administration and carried out power grid constructions for border defense troops in batches, taking advantage of the country's latest round of rural power grid overhaul and upgrade, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

By the end of 2023, more than 700 remote outposts of border defense companies were successively connected to the national power grid, CCTV reported.

Since then, Chinese defense outposts have formed an energy support system relying mainly on electricity from the grid, which is supported by fuel, solar energy and wind energy, the report said.

This has further elevated the Chinese military's border management and control capabilities by making the power supply to military equipment more secure and reliable, border defense energy consumption cleaner and environment-friendly, in addition to improving living conditions for troops stationed along border areas as well as their combat readiness, according to the report.

China is a vast country and shares long borderlines with many neighboring nations across various and complex terrains, including high altitude plateaus, rugged mountains, dry deserts and remote islands, where border defense conditions are harsh and infrastructure construction costs are high, analysts said.

But living conditions and infrastructure construction are vital to border defense, as they significantly contribute to the troops' combat readiness, according to a Chinese military expert who used to serve in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Having stable power supply through the national power grid has many merits, ranging from the use of household appliances to military weapons and equipment, the expert said, noting that in modern military activities, many advanced equipment, like radar systems, require stable energy in large volumes.

Since many border defense outposts are established in remote, unpolluted regions with little human activity, using electricity from the national power grid to replace burning fuel as much as possible can also contribute to the protection of the natural environment, the expert added.

A group of Global Times reporters recently visited the "Model Border Battalion on the Plateau" in Xizang and the "5592" watchpoint, the Chinese People's Liberation Army's highest post at which soldiers are stationed.

In the season of heavy snow and freezing cold, the soldiers at the border frontlines remain steadfast while on duty in the snowy mountains, a testament not only to their spirit of sacrifice and dedication but also to the strong logistical support provided by the military.