Advice for China from Dr. Brown

If China's Army is to become modern, it will need to improve its communications, command, and control setup; antitank and air defenses; and mobility, says former US Defense Secretary Harold Brown.

After an eight-day visit, Dr. Brown told reporters here that the People's Liberation Army should also modernize training, tactics, and grasp of modern weapons systems, Monitor correspondent Takashi Oka reports. He suggested buying samples of equipment overseas which China could make and use.

Brown said he expected China to look to the United States for technology but cautioned that ''how far and how fast'' Chinese-American cooperation on security should go depended on two factors: the timing and nature of Soviet behavior and the evolution of Reagan policy on Taiwan.

After visiting China's northeastern border, Brown said he was impressed by ''the determination of the Chinese to make a strong effort in defense'' against the 45 to 47 Soviet divisions massed on the borders.

Brown's conclusions come in the midst of a determined campaign by the Chinese Army, the world's largest military force, with troop strength at 3.9 million, to grow modern, professionalize, and slim down its numbers.