Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged breakthroughs in reform of the armed forces by 2020, and promised to revamp the current military administration and command system.
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China has been moving rapidly to upgrade its military hardware, but operational integration of complex and disparate systems across a regionalised command structure is a major challenge.
Xi cited measures created to “integrate the administrative system and the joint battle command system”, including a general command center for land forces and enabling the CMC to directly administer and command various military departments.
China’s navy is investing in submarines and aircraft carriers, while the air force is developing stealth fighters.
Xi’s announcement in September that the military would cut 300,000 troops “has again demonstrated China’s resolve to pursue a path of peaceful development”, Yang added.
While the military has been banned from commercial ventures in China since the late 1990’s, the PLA does still have non-military components, including hospitals around the country which are for-profit ventures open to the public.
China’s neighbours have expressed concerns over its actions, particularly its rapid construction of artificial islands in disputed South China Sea waters.
“A full end to the PLA’s paid services to external parties will purify the military ethos and maintain the nature and the true colour of the people’s army”, Yang said.
The reorganization will help build a strong military force that suits China’s worldwide status, fits its national security interests and provides a guarantee for the “Chinese dream” of rejuvenating the Chinese nation.
The command system is seen as necessary to improve communications and coordinate modern forces across the various arms of the military.
Xi said, the history of the people’s army is one of reform and innovation.
The troop cuts and broader reform programme have already proven controversial and the official PLA Daily has published a series of commentaries in recent weeks warning of opposition to the changes.
But there are signs of resistance within the military. “And it’s natural for them to have hard feelings”. A “revolution” of the management of the military will be rolled out with modern management techniques so that the army is managed professionally, Xi said. In its annual report to the U.S. Congress in May, the Pentagon said creating joint-command entities “would be the most significant changes to the PLA’s command organization since 1949”.
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The military’s four powerful headquarters – general staff, political, logistics and armaments – will be “reorganised” under the CMC, Xinhua reported after the closed-door meeting ended on Thursday. Inspection teams will be dispatched to CMC-affiliated departments and military commands.
