China unveils its new draft's military goals.

China revised its conscription policy this week, announcing that people with military experience and college students will be on top of military draft lists if the country enters a war. The changes, which take effect on May 1, will help the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with “recruiting more high-caliber soldiers” and improving the efficiency of the conscription system. The Chinese military’s newspaper, PLA Daily, noted that prioritizing the recruitment of skilled veterans would allow the army to rapidly develop its combat capability in the event of conflict. The conscription of educated college students would improve the overall quality of the PLA and facilitate its transition into a “professionalized force.” China is planning to complete the modernization of its forces by 2035. The changes come amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington, following the downing of what the US claimed was a Chinese “spy balloon” in February and talks between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California earlier this month. China responded to Tsai’s tour of the US by launching major drills around Taiwan, simulating