China's already formidable military may be about to get an overhaul. Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly set to unveil what the media is calling the most sweeping set of military reforms since the mid-1980s. One potential plan leaked to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post suggests that China is generally aiming to centralize command, increase cooperation between services and look beyond hard geographic boundaries.
First, the seven existing military regions would be consolidated into four, each of which would be open to command by officers from other services. If Beijing has indeed pared its structure down to four regions, it will likely consist of a Northeast Command, charged with protecting Beijing and the border with Russia and Korea; a Southeast Command, responsible for operations in the Pacific and Indian oceans; a Northwestern Command to stabilize Xinjiang and protect Gansu and Qinghai; and a Southwestern Command to secure Sichuan and Tibet. In addition, a new national guard, accountable solely to the Central Military Commission, would replace the People's Armed Police. And three of the People's Liberation Army's four general departments would merge into one — the General Staff Department. The Ministry of Defense, now a figurehead, would be empowered to conduct mobilization and recruitment activities.
The plan is probably one of the more radical options on the table, and Beijing is certainly weighing more conservative approaches. The high level of detail in the report, however, suggests that the leaked proposal survived to a late stage in the deliberation process, meaning parts of it may actually make it into the final plan — especially the long-discussed consolidation of military regions and the promotion of joint commands. The projected reforms would free the military from its territorial focus and help to integrate other branches of the services more closely. However, they will in no way loosen the Communist Party's hold over China's armed forces. Whatever impact the reforms may have on the military's capabilities, the People's Liberation Army will remain the Party's gun.
