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Nation
Military Reform Necessities
 NO. 5-6 FEBRUARY 4, 2016

 
 (LI SHIGONG)

China has recently reorganized its four military headquarters--staff, politics, logistics and armaments--into 15 new agencies under the Central Military Commission (CMC), as part of the ongoing military reform launched last November.

The new structure includes six departments for joint staff, political work, logistical support, equipment development, training, and national defense mobilization respectively. This is in addition to three commissions and six other agencies undertaking duties ranging from discipline inspection to international cooperation.

In this round of reform, China also created a general command for its Army, which used to be supervised by the four headquarters. Moreover, it upgraded the Secondary Artillery Force--the country's strategic deterrent force--into the Rocket Force and established the Strategic Support Force.

Experts have expressed their views on the recent military reshuffle. Excerpts of the views of three faculty members of the University of National Defense of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are as follows:

Li Daguang (China.com.cn): The previous system consisting of four headquarters had played an important role in promoting the development of the PLA and ensuring the accomplishment of various major tasks. However, as time changes, problems lurking within the system have become increasingly prominent. Under the new system, the original four headquarters have been turned into 15 agencies directly under the CMC. Compared with the old system, the new system is more specialized since each agency is responsible for a specific function. This system will contribute to the development of national defense and the modernization of the Chinese military.

The target of the current round of military reform is to achieve major breakthroughs in improving the management and joint combat systems by 2020 in order to build a modern armed force adept at information warfare and capable of effectively completing military missions.

The adjustment will strengthen the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the CMC over the PLA and enable the CMC departments to fulfill their functions of strategic planning and management more efficiently. The new system has centralized the leadership and command of the PLA into the hands of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC. As modern warfare usually breaks out abruptly, decisions have to be made swiftly. The new system was prepared with that purpose in mind.

As a milestone reform in the history of the PLA, the current military reform is thoroughly revolutionary. The number of units and departments involved is unprecedented. The top-down reform will put the CMC in charge of the overall administration of the armed forces, with battle zone commands focusing on combat-related operations, and different military services pursuing their own development. It will enhance the PLA's combat preparedness and guarantee the smooth flow of orders.

Wang Xiaohui (Southern Weekly ): The time is ripe for a thorough reform of China's national defense and military structures.

The maneuvering of major regional powers and the serious security risks in areas surrounding China necessitate an accelerated military reform, in addition to the construction of a military capable of winning wars. If problems restricting the combat ability of the Chinese military fail to be addressed, the PLA may suffer. The fast speed of modern warfare, in which a military target is almost immediately destroyed once it is detected, highlights the urgency for reform.

At present, integrated joint operations have become the primary form of combat for major global military powers, which also fits into the mold of information warfare. The command management reform will equip the PLA with the ability to launch integrated joint operations, thereby strengthening the Chinese military, in three ways:

First, a variety of battle zone commands will realize the joint operations, and establish command agencies for their activities. The command agencies for the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Rocket Force will relinquish their integrated joint operation functions and be made responsible mostly for the day-to-day training and construction of their respective forces. During times of war, they will provide various battle zone commands with qualified troops as well as other forms of support.

Second, the barriers between the different services of the PLA will be broken down and different military services will act as a whole. Under the current reform, various battle zone commands will have the right to mobilize and command all services at once, if so desired. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Rocket Force will be integrated into one seamless force in order to fight together.

Third, joint military training and logistical support will be carried out in the future to facilitate the integrated operations.

Ren Tianyou (Cankaoxiaoxi.com): Any major revolutions in science and technology or production methods will lead to sweeping changes in weaponry and combat methods, thereby pushing overall reforms into the military arena.

The rapid development of advanced technology, embodied by the information technology revolution that started in the 1970s, has provided great innovations in terms of military capabilities and weapons. Within a few decades, information technology has been widely used in surveillance, transmission and control. With the rapid development of modern information technology, and its application in the military field, a global military revolution is taking place. Its inception can be traced back to the Gulf War that broke out in the early 1990s.

The United States has stepped up its military reform since the 1980s and has constantly been promoting integrated joint operations. Russia has carried out multiple military reforms since the 1990s and has achieved substantial progress in building a flexible, efficient and mobile modern military force. Military reforms have also been carried out in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

This round of global military reform covers the areas of military technology, weaponry and equipment, military theories, combat methods and organizational structures. The key component of the current drive for modernization is the reform of military institutions and systems. Only through such improvements can a new military system be established which meets the realities of modern information warfare.

It can be seen from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that countries lacking advanced weapons and equipment are no match for opponents with superior technology and organization. Moreover, countries with advanced weapons and equipment which nonetheless choose to stick to old military systems and combat methods can hardly win even when faced with a weaker opponent. Historically, armies relied on firepower to defeat enemies, while in modern wars, superior control over information determines the outcome.

In the face of the new military revolution, countries which take the initiative to reform their military will be better prepared for the future. Only by stepping up military reform can countries gain strategic advantages in national defense.

Copyedited by Bryan Michael Galvan 

Comments to yanwei@bjreview.com 

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