The new organizational structure of the Chinese military.

The restructuring is part of a series of military reforms by Xi Jinping aimed at transforming the Chinese military from a land-centric system to a Western-style, unified military-controlled body.

PLA soldiers participate in military exercises. Photo: THX/VNA

The English-language edition of the South China Morning Post, published in Hong Kong, recently cited military sources stating that the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) decades-old army-centric military district structure will be replaced by new military regions. According to the plan, the PLA will soon dissolve its seven current military districts and replace them with five new military regions – part of a broader restructuring of the PLA system.

A source close to the Jinan Military Region – one of the PLA's seven military regions – said the region is "completing its historical mission" and will be dissolved along with the others on December 20, 2015. According to another source close to the PLA, senior officials of the Central Military Commission (CMC) – the body that manages the armed forces and is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping – have ordered the establishment and operation of the five new military regions by January 1, 2016.

The restructuring is part of a series of military reforms by Xi Jinping aimed at transforming the PLA from an army-centric system to a Western-style, unified military control body that gives equal importance to the army, navy, and air force.

PLA soldiers participate in military exercises. Photo: THX/VNA

The PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the PLA, published a commentary last week arguing that the current system of seven military regions and four command centers is outdated, overly centralized, and challenges the absolute leadership of the Chinese Communist Party over the military. According to the article, the reforms aim to consolidate the power of the CMC and the Party's oversight of the military.

Previously, the South China Morning Post, published in Hong Kong in September 2015, reported that this military reform would include a restructuring plan for the current "four key agencies": the General Staff Department, the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department, and the General Equipment Department. According to three sources close to the PLA, the Central Military Commission (CMC) has established three new committees and six agencies. Accordingly, General Cai Yingying, Commander of the Nanjing Military Region, will be appointed as the head of the Joint General Staff Department, while General Liu Yuan, Political Commissar of the General Logistics Department, who played a key role in removing former Vice Chairmen of the Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, may become the new Secretary of the Central Military Commission's Political and Legal Affairs Commission. General Li Zuocheng, Commander of the Chengdu Military Region, is expected to become the head of the infantry forces.

One of the three sources added: “Three new committees and six agencies will be under the direct supervision of the CMC. This restructuring aims to reduce the political influence of leaders in the current four central agencies and seven military regions.” Previous reports indicated that the four military regions of North, South, East, and West would be formed from the dissolved seven military regions. However, the latest plan adds another military region located in central China. One source stated: “The headquarters of the central military region may be located in Beijing.” Another source indicated that the executive boards of the Jinan and Chengdu military regions would be completely eliminated, while the other five military regions might be reorganized.

Hong Kong-based military commentator Leung Kwok-leung remarked, "The dissolution of the Jinan Military Region is inevitable because, under the outdated army-centric system, it was merely seen as a support for other military regions." According to Leung Kwok-leung, part of the Chengdu Military Region will be merged into a new military region (West, South, or Central), and the five-region system will be capable enough to help the PLA address both immediate and near-future challenges.

According to Baotintuc.vn