Chinese military confirms HQs to go in dramatic shake-up to rid challenge to Communist Party's leadership

China's military mouthpiece has confirmed that its four headquarters and seven key military commands will have to be dissolved and dramatically reorganised.

A commentary published on Monday in the PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army, said the existing system was outdated, too centralised and challenged the Communist Party's absolute leadership over the army.

"The current command system … combines decision making, enforcement and oversight functions into one, exposing a series of shortcomings," the commentary said.

"The four general headquarters' excessive concentration of power has allowed it to become an independent leadership hierarchy overshadowing many of the functions of the Central Military Commission, affecting the commission's centralised and unified leadership over the army."

READ MORE: China vows military reform by 2020, with plans for new anti-corruption watchdog in PLA

The South China Morning Post reported in September that the military overhaul included plans to consolidate the seven commands and reorganise the so-called four headquarters - the General Staff, General Political, General Logistics and General Armaments departments.

But the commentary did not give details on how the four departments would be dissolved.