"This is the first time that active PLA Army personnel would be reduced to below one million," wrote the article.
It added that the number of troops in the PLA Navy, PLA Strategic Support Force and the PLA Rocket Force will be increased, while the PLA Air Force's active service personnel will remain the same.
China doesn't fear invasion by Russia anymore. And China clearly doesn't think India will invade or that America will send a sizable army that threatens Chinese territorial integrity.
Keep in mind that much of the reduction of China's army in the past simply involved changing PLAA light infantry units to People's Armed Police units, currently totaling 1.5 million.
The PAP may not be useful in conventional warfare outside of cities, but they can soak up attackers by defending in cities and function as irregulars or guerilla fighters in rural areas.
So they are not irrelevant to the smaller PLA.
