2015 People's Republic of China military reform

Last updated
2015 People's Republic of China military reform
Traditional Chinese 深化國防和軍隊改革
Simplified Chinese 深化国防和军队改革
Literal meaningDeepening national defense and military reform

The People's Republic of China military reform of 2015 was a major restructuring of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which flattened the command structure and allowed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have more control over the military, with the aim of strengthening the combat capability of the PLA. [1]

Contents

History

Reform of China's defense and military structure began after Xi Jinping became the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012. Under Xi's administration, China created the CCP National Security Commission and established an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea in 2013. [2] In 2014, Xi told the CCP Politburo that the PLA should operate by integrating multiple services. [2]

The "deepening national defense and military reform" was announced in November 2015 at a plenary session of the Central Military Commission (CMC)'s Central Leading Group for Military Reform. [3] They were expected to be long and extensive that aimed at turning the PLA into a modern military on par with international standards. [3] Before the reforms were announced, Xi said the CMC should directly control the military and new regional commands be created. [2]

In January 2014, Chinese senior military officers[ who? ] said that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was planning to reduce the number of military regions from seven to five Theater Commands to have joint command with the ground, naval, air and rocket forces. This is planned to change their concept of operations from primarily ground-oriented defense to mobile and coordinated movements of all services and to enhance offensive air and naval capabilities. The coastal areas would be turned into three military regions, each with a joint operations command (Jinan, Nanjing and Guangzhou) for projecting power into the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. The four other inland military regions (Shenyang, Beijing, Chengdu and Lanzhou) will be streamlined into two military areas mainly for organizing forces for operations. The change was projected to occur through 2019. [4] [ needs update ]

On 1 January 2016, the CMC issued its "Deepening National Defense and Military Reform" document, which called for major restructuring of the military with the goal of modernizing and enhancing the military's operational capabilities. [5] :288

The four traditional traditional departments of the military (General Political, General Logistics, General Armament and General Staff Departments) were replaced by 15 new departments, commissions, and offices led by the CMC. [5] :288 Seven departments were created (General Office, Joint Staff Department, Political Work Department, Equipment Development Department, Training and Management Department, Logistics Support Department, and National Defense Mobilization Department). [5] :289 The three Commissions created were the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Politics and Law Commission, and the Science and Technology Commission. [5] :289 The five operational offices created were the Strategic Planning Office, the Reform and Organization Office, the International Military Cooperation Office, the Audit Bureau, and the Organ Affairs General Management Bureau. [5] :289

On 1 February 2016, China replaced its system of seven military regions with newly-established Theater Commands: Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern, and Central. [5] :289 In the prior system, operations were segmented by military branch and region. [5] :289 In contrast, each Theater Command is intended to function as a unified entity with joint operations across different military branches. [5] :289

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army</span> Combined military forces of the Peoples Republic of China

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China. It consists of four services — Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force — and four arms — Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, and Joint Logistics Support Force. It is led by the Central Military Commission (CMC) with its chairman as commander-in-chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Armed Police</span> Chinese paramilitary organization

The People's Armed Police Force is a Chinese paramilitary organization primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, counter-terrorism, disaster response, law enforcement and maritime rights protection as well as providing support to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during wartime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Military Commission (China)</span> Peoples Republic of China political bodies governing the military

The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China, which heads the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police (PAP), and the Militia of China.

In the People's Republic of China (PRC), supreme command of the armed forces is exercised by the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A parallel state CMC exists. Legally the two CMCs have separate responsibilities, but the distinction is practically irrelevant because the bodies typically have the same members. Since the 2000s, the CCP General Secretary chairs the CMC, and represents the armed forces in the Politburo Standing Committee, the country's ruling body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Air Force</span> Aerial service branch of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The Air Force is composed of five sub-branches: aviation, ground-based air defense, radar, Airborne Corps, and other support elements.

The history of the People's Liberation Army began in 1927 with the start of the Chinese Civil War and spans to the present, having developed from a peasant guerrilla force into the largest armed force in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chi Haotian</span> Former Minister of National Defence of China

Chi Haotian, also spelled as Chih Hao-tien, is a retired general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He served as Minister of National Defense from 1993 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theater command (China)</span> Military command regions of China

A theater command is a multi-service formation of China's People's Liberation Army subordinated to the Central Military Commission. Theater commands are broadly responsible for strategy, plans, tactics, and policy specific to their assigned area of responsibility. In wartime, they will likely have full control of subordinate units; in peacetime, units also report to their service headquarters. The services retain administrative and "constructive" control. There are 5 theater commands: Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central theater commands, organized by a geographical basis.

The national security of China is the coordination of a variety of organizations, including law enforcement, military, paramilitary, governmental, and intelligence agencies that aim to ensure China's national security. China considers three factors in its national security: national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Youxia</span> General of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army

Zhang Youxia is a Chinese general in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and currently the first-ranked Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). He previously served as Head of the CMC Equipment Development Department, and its predecessor, the PLA General Armaments Department, from 2012 to 2017. He is the son of General Zhang Zongxun. He is a veteran of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War and one of the few serving generals in China with war experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force</span> Former cyber and space force of the Peoples Liberation Army (2015-2024)

The People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force was a service branch of the People's Liberation Army that existed from December 2015 to April 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Staff Department (China)</span> Chinese military command structure

The Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (JSDCMC) is the command organ and the headquarters for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), superseding the former PLA General Staff Department (GSD). It was established on 11 January 2016, under the military reforms of Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman Xi Jinping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission</span> Political control office of the Chinese military

The Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission is the chief political organ under the Central Military Commission (CMC). It was created in January 2016 following the military reforms under CMC chairman Xi Jinping. Its predecessor was the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defense Mobilization Department of the Central Military Commission</span> Main mobilization organ of the Chinese military

The National Defense Mobilization Department of the Central Military Commission is a chief organ under the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China with a Deputy Theater Grade Command. Like the CMC, it is a "one institution, two names" entity, that combines both party and state functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Offices Administration of the Central Military Commission</span> Chinese military admin support agency


The General Agency for Offices Administration of the Central Military Commission is a first-level functional agency under the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China. It was founded on January 11, 2016, under Xi Jinping's military reforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Theater Command</span> Military command region of China

The Eastern Theater Command is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), founded 1 February 2016. It replaced the Nanjing Military Region. The command is headquartered in Nanjing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Militia (China)</span> Chinese paramilitary force

The Militia or Militia of China is the militia part of the armed forces of China, the other two parts being the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police (PAP). The Militia is under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and serves as an auxiliary and reserve force for the PLA. It is one of the largest militias in the world.

A military unit cover designator is a unique five-digit number used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China to externally identify military units. MUCDs are used externally to protect the identity of units, while a true unit designator is used internally as they plainly identify the unit and its function.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Joint Logistics Support Force</span> Arm of the Peoples Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army Joint Logistics Support Force is the rear echelon and logistics arm of the People's Liberation Army. It was established on 13 September 2016 and was recognized as an arm of the People's Liberation Army on 19 April 2024, with a Theater Deputy grade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Military Commission Joint Operations Command Center</span> Central Joint Operations Command Center of the Peoples Liberation Army

The Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission (JOCC). is the main command and control of the combined forces of the People's Liberation Army. It is a Theater Command Grade unit under the direct control of the Central Military Commission. Its main headquarter and operations command room is located in an underground location in the Haidian District of Beijing

References

  1. Gill, Bates; Ni, Adam (2019). "China's Sweeping Military Reforms: Implications for Australia" (PDF). Security Challenges. 15 (1): 33–46. JSTOR   26644516 via JSTOR.
  2. 1 2 3 Mu, Chunshan (5 December 2015). "The Logic Behind China's Military Reforms". The Diplomat . Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 Chan, Minnie (25 November 2015). "China hits the launch button for massive PLA shake-up to create a modern, nimble force". South China Morning Post . Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  4. "China plans military reform to enhance its readiness". The Japan News . 2014-01-02. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Duan, Lei (2024). "Towards a More Joint Strategy: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms and Militia Reconstruction". In Fang, Qiang; Li, Xiaobing (eds.). China under Xi Jinping: A New Assessment. Leiden University Press. ISBN   9789087284411. JSTOR   jj.15136086.