A top Chinese military research institute is stepping up efforts “on the ground” in answer to the leadership’s call to boost combat readiness, according to state media. The Systems Engineering Institute (SEI) under the Academy of Military Science (AMS) is directing more researchers into studies to determine the “urgent needs” of frontline troops, PLA Daily reported on Monday. The military newspaper said researchers would strengthen cooperation with “civilian bodies”, especially in areas such as telecommunications and logistics support. Taiwan’s darkest military secrets revealed by Google Maps “Pushing ahead the in-depth development of military and civilian cooperation is indispensable as [we] accelerate the application of [our] research results,” the report said. “Based on the specialities of [our] various research institutes, especially in areas such as telecommunications and logistics, the SEI has put forward a number of innovation focuses that can take advantage of the synergy of [our] military and civilian research forces,” it added. More than half of the institute’s research projects for this year were related to improving combat readiness, according to PLA Daily . The AMS, under the People’s Liberation Army, was overhauled two years ago and now has eight research institutes. Two of them focus on military theory while the rest specialise in technology, medical and chemical research, and defence engineering. Submarine arms race seen heating up in Indo-Pacific amid ‘great threat’ from China Cooperation between China’s military and civilian researchers has come under close international scrutiny recently, with Washington accusing Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies of posing a security threat to the US and its allies. US officials including Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have in recent weeks lobbied allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G mobile networks, claiming the company’s products could be used for espionage for the Chinese government, a charge repeatedly denied by Huawei and Beijing. The PLA Daily report also echoed directives from President Xi Jinping, who is chairman of the Central Military Commission, at the start of the year for the PLA to make improving “combat readiness” its top priority in 2019. Military experts said the SEI’s research emphasis reflected the focus of China’s military reform and the new AMS agenda. Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said that unlike other research institutes under the AMS, the SEI focused on logistics support, especially in areas related to combat. He said the academy’s restructure had enabled it to move away from theoretical research and put more emphasis on technology and innovation. “These changes have improved AMS contributions in science and technology, and that paves the way for better [PLA] strike capabilities,” Song said. China considers criminal charges, including jail time, for military rumour-mongers Beijing-based military expert Li Jie expected the SEI’s new research projects would better meet the needs of a reorganised PLA, which has significantly strengthened its air force and navy. The military has downsized its ground forces to the extent that the army now accounts for less than half of the PLA , state news agency Xinhua reported last month. The move marks a strategic shift for the PLA, and a significance change since it was established more than half a century ago, as it seeks to transform into a modern fighting force. “The Chinese military has traditionally focused on supporting its land forces, but after the military reshuffle, other units such as air and sea, and the joint operations between services, require more sophisticated logistics support,” Li said. “By improving logistics support, China can exert its influence further away.”