The ongoing military restructuring in China appears to have peaked, with President Xi Jinping assuming the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Battle Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The South China Morning Post quoted analysts as saying that the move showed that President Xi had built up a level of personal authority over troops on par with late leaders such as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Interacting with forces of the integrated Joint Command on Wednesday,
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President Xi insisted that the new formation should be “absolutely loyal, resourceful in fighting, efficient in commanding, and courageous and capable of winning wars”, China Central Television reported.
The new title adds to the other three that President Xi holds— general secretary of the Communist Party of China , President, and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).
The daily quoted Xu Guangyu, a retired PLA Major General, as saying: “Xi’s camouflage military suit (which he wore) showed that he is top commander of the PLA’s supreme joint battle command body, which was set up to meet today’s modern warfare demands, and is capable of commanding land, navy and air forces, as well as other special troops like the Rocket Force and Strategic Support Force.”
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Gen. Xu clarified that the title of commander-in-chief had to be differentiated from President Xi’s role as CMC chairman.
“The CMC is responsible for the PLA’s management and defence building, while the joint battle command centre focuses on combat and relevant strategies,” he observed.
Xinhua quoted Mr. Xi as telling officers to follow closely the trends of the “global military revolution” and build a joint battle command system that meets the need of fighting and winning an informational war.