Defense and Military Reform: Five Theater Commands

Facing the demands of the times for a strong country and strong military, China kept advancing defense and military building. In September 2015, at the parade marking the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japan and the World Anti-Fascist War, President Xi Jinping announced that China would cut its military personnel by 300,000. In November a Central Military Commission reform conference was held and the deepening of defense and military reform was fully launched. Reform followed the principle of “the Commission administers overall, theater commands focus on combat, services focus on building forces.” On 31 December 2015 an army leadership body, the Rocket Force (renamed from the Second Artillery Force) and the Strategic Support Force were established. In January 2016 the Central Military Commission’s organs were changed from four general departments into 15 functional departments. In February 2016 the seven military regions were reorganized into five theater commands (Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern and Central), building a new joint operational command system. In 2017 the military completed reform of its size, structure and force composition, cutting the army’s 18 group armies to 13. In July that year a parade marking the PLA’s 90th anniversary was held at Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia. It was the most profound and comprehensive defense and military reform since 1949, reshaping the PLA’s command system and force structure and moving it toward a world-class military. In 2024 the Strategic Support Force was disbanded and the Information Support Force and other bodies were formed.