Chinese army should learn from US joint command system: military newspaper
Most explicit statement yet of plan to remodel PLA forces with joint command structure
A Chinese military newspaper has for the first time openly called for the PLA to learn from the joint command system employed by US forces.
In Wednesday's Zhongguo Guofangbao (China National Defence News), a sister newspaper to the military's flagship PLA Daily, commentator Li Wenqing said the PLA's outdated structure was the biggest obstacle to developing President Xi Jinping's vision of a modern army capable of defending the country and leading it to victory.
"The article is so far the most explicit statement by a military news outlet to highlight the need to learn from the Western model," Beijing-based retired major general Xu Guangyu said.
The South China Morning Post reported last month a sweeping reform of the PLA would phase out its Soviet-style command structures in favour of a US-style model, and consolidate the army's seven military command regions into four.
A Beijing-based retired senior colonel said the article indicated the PLA hoped the integrated command system would make it more nimble.
"It is almost certain the seven military commands will be remodelled [into] four, the air force and navy will be expanded, and some military departments and institutions will be integrated or even scrapped," he said.
"But it's foreseeable that such a big step would face strong resistance inside the army as many senior officials would be required to hand over powers."