President Xi Jinping announces reform of Chinese military
(Baonghean.vn) - Chinese leader Xi Jinping has announced a major reform in the military, establishing a new Army Information Support Force, responsible for handling hybrid warfare.
The announcement was made at a ceremony in Beijing on Friday. President Xi Jinping said China must prioritize the development of its military in the modern era, as well as enhance its capabilities through reform, science and new talent. The Chinese leader described the newly formed military wing as a “strategic force” that will provide indispensable support for coordinating and using information systems networks.
“It will play an important role in promoting the high-quality development and competitiveness of the Chinese military in modern warfare,” Xi said, according to the Chinese government website.
General Bi Yi was appointed commander of the new service, and General Li Wei was appointed political commissar. In the People's Liberation Army, political commissars serve as deputy commanders and are primarily responsible for administrative duties and political education.
Xi Jinping also noted that it is important to “adhere to common victory and rely on information, seamless information linkage, integrated information sources” as well as strengthen information protection.
Meanwhile, Beijing has disbanded the Strategic Support Force, which was established in 2015 to enhance China’s expertise in space, cyber, political and electronic warfare and help it fight “informationized conflicts.”
Commenting on the reforms, Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China now has four military forces – the Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force, and four units – the Aerospace Force, Cyber Force, Information Support Force and Joint Logistics Support Force.
The military reform, described by Bloomberg as the biggest since 2015, follows the dismissal of nine senior military officers from the National People's Congress in December, including four who served in the Rocket Force. The move also follows the dismissal of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu in October. Beijing has not explained the changes, but Western media have reported that Li is under investigation for corruption.
China has been steadily taking steps to strengthen its military capabilities amid growing competition with the US in recent years due to tensions over Taiwan./.
