The Central Military Commission has approved a pilot reform scheme to centralise logistical support within the so-called Jinan war zone in an attempt to improve efficiency, Xinhua reported.
The initiative aims to eliminate duplication of resources by putting medical, engineering and other support elements from the zone's army, navy and air force units under one command, the report said.
It will also boost the ability of the three branches to work together and conduct joint operations, an area of weakness often identified by the leadership of the People's Liberation Army.
The new support division will oversee resources such as supply warehouses, hospitals and engineering materials, making it easier to share materials between the various units. The centralised structure will also provide more transparency.
The Jinan war zone is one of the areas of operations that would be implemented in the event of war. It is an extension of the Jinan military region, one of the mainland's seven military regions, and oversees Shandong and Henan provinces . According to globalsecurity.org, the region has 190,000 troops.
In the event of a cross-strait conflict, the Jinan war zone would be part of the vanguard of a mainland attack, along with the Nanjing war zone. Joint operations between the army, navy and air force would be crucial to an attack on Taiwan, making Jinan an obvious choice for a pilot project to improve such capabilities.
