China introduces major reform to People’s Liberation Army

China has embarked on the biggest shake-up in years of the world’s largest standing army; the People’s Liberation Army. The Communist Party leadership proposes significant changes to the operational command structure by 2020 and says it will rejig existing military regions as part of overall reforms.

The cuts of around 300,000 troops will reduce the ranks of the PLA to around two million members; compared to 6.27 million at the time of the revolution that brought the Communist Party to power in October 1949.

The reorganisation includes plans to “integrate the administrative system and the joint battle command system”, whereby all branches of the armed forces would come under a joint military command, President Xi Jinping told a meeting of military officials in Beijing.

“Under the leadership of the [Communist] Party, our military has gone from small to big, from weak to strong, from victory to victory. On this road, reform and innovation steps have never stopped,” Mr Xi said, in a lengthy speech that was big on ideology if a little low on detail.

China put many of its new military technologies on display during a large parade in September to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second World War.

Mr Xi combines his roles as president and general secretary of the Communist Party with the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission, which controls the army, navy and air force, all of which come under the People’s Liberation Army umbrella.

Territorial disputes

The reforms come as China is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea, where it has territorial disputes with many of its neighbours over disputed islands, which have prompted a strong rise in investment in maritime hardware such as submarines and aircraft carriers.

The air force is developing stealth bombers and other fighter jet capabilities.

The reforms also aim to build a firm defence and strong military commensurate with China’s international standing and interests in security and development, he said.

In July, one of the country’s top PLA leaders and former vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong, was jailed for taking bribes. He was the highest ranking army officer to fall foul of Mr Xi’s anti-graft campaign and a sign that the leadership is feeling confident enough of its support within the armed forces to take steps against such a senior soldier.

The history of the PLA was one of reform and innovation, Mr Xi said, and the reason the military had stayed vigorous was that was constantly innovating and reforming itself.

“Now, as the country progresses from a large country to a large and powerful one, defence and military development stands at a new and historic starting line,” he added.

Nature of warfare

Zhao Xiaozhuo, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences, told People.com that military reform during peacetime had a special significance and he believes the whole nature of warfare had changed, as evidenced in Iraq and Afghanistan, and every country had adapt to new forms of engagement.

“We have made considerable progress with our military equipment, so the need optimise organisational structures is growing,” he said. “The reform will liberate and reinvigorate the army which will enhance combat effectiveness to a new level.”

The majority of Chinese troops are made up of 850,000 land forces, which are deployed in seven military area commands headquartered in the capital Beijing, in the industrial centre of Shenyang, as well as other major cities such as Jinan, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Lanzhou.

The military will also have its own in-house discipline inspection commission, which will send disciplinary inspectors to Central Military Commission departments and zone commands.