No joint command: MOD

By Bai Tiantian and Liu Yang Source:Global Times Published: 2014-1-6 1:03:01

China's defense ministry Sunday denied news reports that China will implement a joint command system, adding that such reports are groundless.

Previous overseas media reports said China will implement a joint command system in due course, adding that establishing such a system is a fundamental requirement in an era of information, and the military has begun positive programs in this regard.

The defense ministry denied both claims in a statement released to the Global Times on Sunday and said the reports are "without basis."

The reply from the defense ministry was echoed by an official from the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), who told the Global Times on Sunday that he was not informed of the plan.

Declining to provide more details, the defense ministry referred questions on reforming China's military organization structure to the ministry's press conference on November 28, 2013.

Yang Yujun, a spokesperson for the defense ministry, said at the press conference that after studies, the PLA will deepen reform in good time and blaze a trail in reform on a joint operation command system with Chinese characteristics.

"Modern warfare is characterized by information leading, systematic confrontation and joint operations, and therefore, it is a necessary demand of operations under information conditions on building a joint operation command system. The Chinese military has made explorations in that field," Yang said.

Japanese media reported on Wednesday that China is considering reorganizing its seven geographic military regions into five and each of the new military regions would create a joint operations command controlling the army, navy, air force and a strategic missile unit.

The Japanese media further reported that the reform marks a shift from the defense-oriented military to one "ensuring more mobile and integrated management."

Despite the statement from the defense ministry, observers say that implementing a joint operational command could be the right move for China's military reform, though speculation on a detailed plan to set up the command is still premature.

Oh Ei Sun, a political analyst and former political secretary to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, told the Global Times on Sunday that joint operational command is long overdue for China and the implementation of it will not affect the relationship between China and its neighbors.

"We understand China's needs to consolidate and modernize its military command structure, which has the added advantage of prevention of misfire on the part of subordinate military units," said Oh.

A military expert, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Sunday that from an international perspective, the establishment of a joint command system is in line with the general trend.

He suggested that it could also be sensed from the reform package released following the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee last November.

The expert noted that building the joint command system could not be accomplished in one step, since the issue of which military branch would occupy the dominant position still needs to be resolved in China.

According to him, although the PLA ground forces used to play a dominant role over the PLA navy and PLA air force, nowadays there were more threats from the air and sea toward China than on the ground.

Nevertheless, the expert noted that the Chinese military would not copy the US model in the setup of the joint command, and should learn from the lessons seen in the Russian military's winding path of reform.

Yang He contributed to this story



Posted in: Military

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