PLA reform:Seven military regions to be combined into four war theaters

[Bowen News Service Exclusive August 27,2015] This agency has learned that the long-rumored PLA reform program is finally coming to light, and was revealed at the September 3, 2015 Beijing military parade. This military reform is earthshaking, a real top-to-bottom transformation from the Central Military Commission General Headquarters to the company level. It will affect the military’s institutional structure, restructure all the branches of the service, and a military source told this news service that after the reform the PLA will “essentially resemble the U.S. military.”

A military source revealed that this military reform program was in fact approved by the Central Military Commission at the beginning of this year. But after the program proposal was distributed for comment, the critical response was strong. Most of the resistance comes from high-ranking officers, particularly regarding the dismantling of the seven military regions and their reorganization into four war theaters. This will impact many high-ranking officers’ self-interest. For example, the Central Military Commission’s four departments will be reduced in size and turned into internal functioning departments of the CMC (including combining the General Logistics and General Armaments Departments). This restructuring will impact a large number of high-ranking officers’ positions. Who benefits and who loses from this will certainly cause a lot of conflict.

Another example is that after the large military regions are done away with, the new war theater military officers will be titular generals, like their ancient imperial predecessors, who issued edicts and went on imperial inspection tours but had no power to deploy forces. And they have to go to new areas to serve, without the comfortable living conditions of their previous posts. For example, after the original Shenyang Military Region turns into the Northeast War Theater, the new officers will be moved to Beijing, and it will be very hard for them to have the same housing conditions they have in Shenyang.

“The resistance is mainly from high-ranking military officers. But it’s not because they oppose reform of the military, but that they want the process to go more smoothly.” A knowledgeable military source indicated that after a lot of ideological work, and coordination of many practical problems, a course of action was decided on and Xi Jinping made a final decision. After the Beijing big parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan and world fascist forces, the military reform will be officially launched.

According to the reform plan this agency has exclusively received from the military, the previous rumours about the military reform plan have turned out to be true. The one attracting the most outside observers’ attention being the “dismanlting of the existing seven military regions.” The whole country will be divided into Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest War Theaters.

Among them, the Northeast War Theater will include the original Shenyang Military Region and Beijing Military Region, with the War Theater command based in Beijing. The Northwest War Theater will primarily cover the original Lanzhou Military Region, with the command center based in Lanzhou. The Southwest War Zone will administer the original Chengdu Military Region, with the command based in Chengdu. And the Southeast War Zone will administer the original jurisdictions of the Guangzhou Military Region, Nanjing Military Region and Jinan Military Region, with the command center based in Guangzhou.

The most important thing is that the four War Theaters won’t manage troops. They will be commanded by the general headquarters, that is the Army general headquarters, Navy general headquarters and Air Force general headquarters. The three branches will establish their own command structures. But the War Theaters will set up a joint command headquarters. In time of war they will have a united command, with each branch of the military—Army, Navy, and Air Force—overseen by the joint command headquarters. In peacetime construction and operations will be carried out separately.

Regarding the Central Military Commission’s original four departments, the decision has already been made to merge the General Logistics Department and General Armaments Department. The name will be changed to the Logistics Department. The General Staff Headquarters will be modeled on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and upgraded to include high-ranking officers from all service branches of the military. It will provide planning and consulting to the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and become a military brain trust organization. The other departments will be turned into internal functioning departments of the Central Military Commission (War Department, Political Department, Logistics Department), and not serve as a single stratum. The Ministry of Defense will be substantiated, and establish a defense policy system independent from the armed forces.