China has effected a ‘large-scale shift’ in the leadership of its 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest standing military, focusing on ocean, cyber and space capabilities.
The reorganisation, which followed the once-in-a-decade leadership change conference during which Xi Jinping took over as chief of the ruling CPC and the military, included 22 posts in the powerful Central Military Commission, the official media reported on Thursday.
Xi has succeeded outgoing President Hu Jintao as head of the commission.
The revamp also covered four General Headquarters, seven military regions and three military branches, state-run Beijing News reported. The major leadership shift caters to the country's changing military focus on ocean, cyber and space capabilities, and is in line with Hu's report at the 18th party Congress on the machinery and information construction of the PLA.
The week-long Congress concluded on November 14. In his report, Hu said China will speed up modernisation of military and build itself into a maritime power besides enhancing integrated combat capability of its forces with extensive IT applications.
‘We should enhance our capacity for exploiting marine resources, resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power,’ he said, apparently referring to maritime issue in the South China Sea as well as with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
The reorganisation, which followed the once-in-a-decade leadership change conference during which Xi Jinping took over as chief of the ruling CPC and the military, included 22 posts in the powerful Central Military Commission, the official media reported on Thursday.
Xi has succeeded outgoing President Hu Jintao as head of the commission.
The revamp also covered four General Headquarters, seven military regions and three military branches, state-run Beijing News reported. The major leadership shift caters to the country's changing military focus on ocean, cyber and space capabilities, and is in line with Hu's report at the 18th party Congress on the machinery and information construction of the PLA.
The week-long Congress concluded on November 14. In his report, Hu said China will speed up modernisation of military and build itself into a maritime power besides enhancing integrated combat capability of its forces with extensive IT applications.
‘We should enhance our capacity for exploiting marine resources, resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power,’ he said, apparently referring to maritime issue in the South China Sea as well as with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea.