ASSESSMENTS

China Takes Bold Steps Toward Military Reform

Jan 11, 2016 | 09:15 GMT

China has enacted major parts of its planned military reform, but more arduous tasks remain.

People's Liberation Army soldiers march during a military parade in Moscow.

(HOST PHOTO AGENCY/RIA NOVOSTI VIA GETTY IMAGES)

At the very end of 2015, Beijing introduced the ambitious first wave of Chinese President Xi Jinping's comprehensive plan for military reform. The changes -- which include a more powerful strategic weaponry command, a new ground force headquarters, and an organization called the Strategic Support Force -- are the culmination of a decadelong effort to improve the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The focus is on military capability and overcoming a deep-rooted political intransigence that has stymied the development of China's armed forces....

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