Xi Jinping creates new military position
Chinese President Xi Jinping assumed the role of commander-in-chief of China's Joint Operations Command Center. According to Chinese officials, the position was created "to build a joint battle command system that meets the need of fighting and winning an informationized war." The center, which co-ordinates between the army, navy and air force, is under the direct supervision of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission.
Under the new plan, the Air Force and Navy will have the same repute as the Army and People's Armed Police will be replaced with a national guard. The PLA will be downsized to a great extent to bring about efficiency. Functions of "logistics, armaments and political departments" will be shared by generals in all divisions: Army, Navy, Airforce and National Coast Guard.
President seeks to stiffen political authority over military, so that China can move from being a large country to `large and powerful one'. The overhaul plan is a direct attempt to toughen Communist Party's hold over the powerful military. One of the main reasons behind this move is Xi's idea of being more assertive militarily and follow up to the South China Sea claims.
An article was published by Sun Kejia and Han Xiao in the People's Liberation Army's mouthpiece, the PLA Daily explaining how the overhaul would de-stabilize the Chinese society but was pulled down within hours of being published.
China announced the establishment of its first overseas military outpost, this plan comes directly after China announced major restructuring within its military quarters. The outpost will be in the East African nation of Djobouti. The Foreign Ministry refrained from calling the new outpost as a military base, saying it was to replenish Chinese Navy ships that were participating in United Nations antipiracy missions.
The army has been a principal aim of Xi's anti-corruption crusade as the party chief concentrates power over the PLA. Xi ousted two former CMC vice-chairman, as well as handfuls of generals involved in corrupt practices from "embezzling public funds to selling ranks." This overhaul would bring "disciplinary structure and a new legal and political committee" and strengthen Xi's stance.
China's President Xi Jinping announced a significant restructuring of China's military. The President said the overhaul will bring the armed forces under a "joint operational military command" to build "an elite combat force" by 2020. It will also involve reorganizing China's existing military zone. This is a conscious move on China's part from Soviet style to US style military.
President Jinping earmarked four out of five commanders to head the new military zones ( North, South, East, West and Central). There was cut down on 300,000 personnel as a part of the overhaul. He launched two new wings of the military and established a separate command for ground units. The overhaul was aimed at modernisation of the military to increase efficiency.
President Jinping conferred flags on the new PLA Rocket Force, PLA Strategic Support Force, and also, the general command for the Army of the People's Liberation Army at the inauguration ceremony in Beijing. Jinping handed over a red flag to Li Zuocheng as the new head of the land command force. The missile force took over Second Artillery Corps to control China's nuclear arsenal.
The PLA Rocket Force launched a projectile in Western China as a part of the first live-fire drill of the year. The drill was also held by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Strategic Support Force and the Armed Police to give a glimpse of the revamped Chinese military overhaul. President Jinping had asked the reorganised Central Military Commission to improve their fighting capacities.
