People's Liberation Army
Over the decade 2015-2025, China has undergone what is considered the most drastic military system reform since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The number of military personnel has stabilized at 2 million, the system has been changed from seven military regions to five war zones, a large number of generals have been purged, and military spending has increased by more than 70%.
The PLA now has a new system of services and arms under the leadership and command of the CMC. There are four services, namely the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Rocket Force, and four arms, including the Aerospace Force, the Cyberspace Force, the Information Support Force and the Joint Logistic Support Force.
The active components of the PLA are the country's standing army, which mainly undertakes the task of defensive military operations and helps maintain social order, if necessary, in accordance with the law. Its basic organizational structures can be categorized into the general headquarters/departments, the services and arms and the military area commands.
The PLA's general headquarters/departments system is composed of the General Staff Headquarters, the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department and the General Armaments Department, which are placed under the leadership of the CMC. The CMC, through these four general headquarters/ departments, directs all the military area commands and the services and arms. The routine work of the Ministry of National Defense is handled respectively by these four general headquarters/departments.
Operational control of the PLA runs from the Central Military Commissions to the PLA's general departments: General Staff Department, General Political Department, and General Logistics Department. Below the department level run parallel chains of command for operational, political, and logistical matters, each with its own separate communications facilities. Military policy originates in the party Political Bureau or the party Central Military Commission, became an operational order at the General Staff Department level, flowed through the military regions, and arrived at a main-force unit. Orders to regional forces also passed through the military district (provincial) level.
The Central Military Commission (CMC) has planned to gradually terminate all paid services in the military in three years, according to a CMC circular issued in March 2016. According to the document, military units will no longer be allowed to launch new programs or sign new contracts of paid services, and expired contracts may not be extended.
The CMC also rolled out principles and measures on the termination of military paid services, aiming to tackle problems that may emerge as a result of the move to phase out paid services. The circular stressed that terminating all paid services was "an important political task" in building the armed forces, and urged units at all levels to fully implement the decision. In late 2015, China initiated a new round of military reforms. Paid services were flagged to be removed, to reduce corruption in the army.
The People's Liberation Army's insignia consists of a round device with a design of five stars and the Chinese characters "ba-yi" (August 1, the anniversary of the 1927 Nanchang Uprising), surrounded by wheat ears and cog wheels. (Use of the insignia is governed by the 1984 Military Service Law.) The history of the PLA is officially traced to the Nanchang Uprising, when the army started fighting the Kuomintang (KMT) government. To commemorate the uprising, August lst is celebrated as PLA Day.
The PLA wss composed of three services -- the Army, Navy and Air Force -- and an independent arm, the Second Artillery Force.
The military area commands (theaters of war) of the PLA are military organizations set up according to the State's administrative divisions, geographical locations, strategic and operational orientations, and operational tasks. Prior to 2016 the PLA has seven military area commands, namely, Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Thse were reduced to five in 2016.
The PLA has the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS), the National Defense University (NDU), and the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT). The AMS is the PLA's highest-level research institute and center of military sciences. The NDU is mainly responsible for the education and training of senior commanding and staff officers and researchers. The NUDT is mainly responsible for the education and training of senior scientists and engineers, and specialized commanding officers.
The PLA's reserve force is a force with its present organizational structure with the reserve personnel as the base and active personnel as the backbone. The reserve force, which is incorporated into the PLA's order of battle, receives military training in peacetime according to relevant regulations, and helps maintain social order, if necessary, in accordance with the law. In wartime, it may be called into active service in pursuance of a State mobilization order.
Although the armed police force does not belong to the military, its nature and composition are similar to those of the military. The armed police force was formally established in April 1983. From 00:00 on January 1, 2018, the armed police force will be under the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and will implement the Central Military Commission-armed police force-troop leadership and command system. In accordance with the principle that the military is the military, the police is the police, and the civilians are the civilians, all active forces listed in the armed police force sequence and led and managed by the State Council departments will be withdrawn from the armed police.
A major change in this round of reform is the establishment of the Armed Police Coast Guard Corps, which merged the relevant powers of multiple local departments and had the power to enforce the law at sea, changing the previous situation of "nine dragons governing the sea". During this period, in the front line of the rights protection struggle in Diaoyu Island, Huangyan Island, Ren'ai Reef, Xianbin Reef, etc., came the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has been more active, resolute and proactive in protecting rights, which also annotated the reform results from one aspect.
Military reorganisation in April 2024 came amid what has been described as the biggest purge in Chinese military history, with key leaders being fired or disappearing from view. Much of the upheaval has taken place within the armed forces elite Rocket Force, which oversees Beijing’s tactical and nuclear missiles and was supposed to be among the military’s most capable units. “The Rocket Force purges of last year showed that the Chinese armed forces are not as ready for prime time as we have previously imagined,” Yang Zi, a PhD student at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told Al Jazeera.
Prominent figures have disappeared as well. The defence minister, Li Shuangfu, who previously served as a deputy commander of the SSF and was considered a Xi loyalist, went missing last year. Beijing confirmed that Li had been removed in October, nearly two months after he disappeared from view.
The fact that high-ranking officers and officials seemingly close to Xi have not been spared in the purge underlines the shifting landscape of loyalty and power in Chinese elite politics, according to Shaoyu Yuan, a scholar of Chinese studies at Rutgers University in the US. “Individuals removed might have initially risen under Xi’s patronage but their dismissal signals a recalibration of loyalty and trust as his strategic vision and his perception of potential threats evolve,” Yuan told Al Jazeera.
In Yang’s view, the purges and the recent military reorganisation suggest that Xi has little faith in the commanders who have risen through the ranks in recent times, or in the previous reforms, even though he played a key role in their promotions and the structural changes. While that might raise questions about Xi’s choices, Yuan said the Chinese president’s reactions to his lack of faith demonstrate his ruthless adaptability as well as his willingness to recalibrate his approach to maintain control and pursue his vision.
“His determination to eliminate any structures or individuals that do not align with his current strategic objectives regardless of their past contributions may reinforce his image as a decisive leader who prioritises the present needs of the state over past allegiances,” he said. Yuan adds that in the power dynamics around the president, loyalty must be continually earned.
“This approach can create a cycle where trust is perpetually conditional, driving the need for constant reaffirmation of loyalty,” he said. At a recent military conference, Xi stressed that military officials, especially those at senior levels, had to have the courage to put aside their prestige and acknowledge their shortcomings. “They must deeply self-reflect … make earnest rectifications, resolve problems at the root of their thinking,” he said.
RSIS’s Yang expects that there would be a greater emphasis on political work within the armed forces, building on last year’s focus on Xi Jinping Thought, the president’s political, economic and social philosophy, throughout the Communist Party. Such political work could take time away from crucial military training, according to Yang, or encourage talented officers to keep their heads down to avoid the risk of being targeted in any future purges.
Information Support Force The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has set up an Information Support Force 19 April 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a flag to the force at its establishment ceremony held in Beijing. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stressed solid efforts to build a strong and modernized information support force. Xi said that the establishment of the information support force is a major decision that the CPC Central Committee and the CMC has made in light of the overall need of building a strong military. Xi stressed that the information support force is a new, strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system. It would play a crucial role in advancing the Chinese military's high-quality development and competitiveness in modern warfare. He ordered the force to resolutely obey the Party's command, and make sure it stays absolutely loyal, pure and reliable. Xi urged the force to integrate deeply into the Chinese military's joint operation system, carry out information support operations in a precise and effective manner, and facilitate military operations in various directions and fields. He also urged efforts to build a network information system that fulfills the requirements of modern warfare and features the Chinese military's own characteristics, as well as efforts to accelerate the development of integrated combat capabilities more effectively. The inaugural conference of the PLA Information Support Force was held in Bayi Building on 19 April 2024. Establishing the Information Support Force through restructuring is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC) for the cause of building a strong military, and a strategic step to establish a new system of services and arms and improve the modern military force structure with Chinese characteristics. This is of profound and far-reaching significance to the modernization of national defense and the armed forces and effective fulfillment of the missions and tasks of the People's military in the new era. The Information Support Force is a brand-new strategic arm of the PLA and a key underpinning of coordinated development and application of the network information system. It plays an important role and bears great responsibility in promoting high-quality development and the ability to fight and win in modern warfare. The establishment of the Information Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is a major decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission and President Xi Jinping from the perspective of strengthening overall national defense, which is a strategic measure to construct a new type of structure of services and arms and improve the system of China's modern military force and holds profound significance for accelerating national defense and military modernization and effectively fulfilling the mission of the PLA in the new era. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, conferred the new force's flag to its commander Lieutenant General Bi Yi and political commissar of the unit General Li Wei at the force's establishment ceremony inside the CMC headquarters building in Beijing on 19 April 2024. Xi stressed that the Information Support Force is a new, strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system. It would play a crucial role in advancing the Chinese military's high-quality development and competitiveness in modern warfare. President Xi fully affirmed the important position and significant responsibilities of the Information Support Force and made clear requirements for its comprehensive strengthening, providing a fundamental direction and guidance for building a strong and modern Information Support Force. In modern warfare, victory hinges on information. The struggle is between systems, and whoever commands information superiority holds the initiative in war, it explained. Director of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense and Chinese Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian introduced what kind of force it is at a press briefing. "This is of profound and far-reaching significance to the modernization of national defense and the armed forces and effective fulfillment of the missions and tasks of the People's military in the new era. The Information Support Force is a brand-new strategic arm of the Chinese PLA and a key underpinning of coordinated development and application of the network information system" said the spokesperson. Wu Qian: "The adjustment and establishment of the information support force is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission from the overall perspective of strengthening the military. It is a strategic measure to build a new type of military structure and layout and improve the modern military force system with Chinese characteristics. It has great and far-reaching significance for accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military and effectively fulfilling the mission and tasks of the people's army in the new era. The information support force is a newly created strategic branch of the military and a key support for the overall construction and use of the network information system. It plays an important role and has a heavy responsibility in promoting the high-quality development of our army and the ability to fight and win in modern warfare." With this round of reform, the PLA now featured a new system of services including the army, the navy, the air force and the rocket force, and arms including the aerospace force, the cyberspace force, the information support force and the joint logistic support force. This layout enhances the perfection of China's distinctive military force system. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stressed the need for the coordinated construction and utilization of the network information system. Network information technology has become the "biggest variable" in the development of the times and a crucial factor in enhancing the combat capability of the armed forces. As a newly established strategic branch, the Information Support Force is the key support for the coordinated construction and utilization of the network information system. It plays an important and significant role in promoting the high-quality development of Chinese military and winning modern warfare, the commentary said. The establishment of the Information Support Force would enhance the joint combat capability and all-domain operational capability of Chinese military based on the network information system. It would help achieve the centennial goals of the founding of the PLA and accelerate the transformation of the PLA into a world-class military force. The Information Support Force must resolutely follow the Party's command, ensuring absolute loyalty, purity, and reliability. It should provide strong support for combat operations, deeply integrate into the overall joint operational system of the military, and precisely and efficiently provide information support to serve and guarantee military operations in all directions and domains. It should accelerate innovation and development, build a network information system that meets the requirements of modern warfare and features distinctive characteristics of the Chinese military, and promote the rapid improvement of the system's combat capability built on high quality. It should solidify the foundation of the force, ensuring high concentration, unity, security, and stability, and resolutely accomplish all tasks assigned by the Party and the people. Dec 05, 2024 06:46 PM Updated: Dec 05, 2024 11:32 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to build a strong, modernized information support force, and to realize the leapfrog development of the Chinese military's network information system. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks when inspecting the information support force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday. The PLA information support force is a strategic service branch established amid China's efforts to adjust and reform the structure of its military services and arms. Xi presented a flag to the force at its establishment ceremony in April. During Wednesday's inspection, Xi said that the network information system is playing an increasingly prominent role in modern warfare, and that all relevant personnel should be fully aware that enhancing the system is extremely important. He called on the force to accelerate its efforts to build the network information system and strengthen its capabilities in serving and supporting the military's combat readiness and capabilities. Stressing the need for solid work in the development of the network information system, Xi said that the information services guarantee should be enhanced and great importance should be attached to the protection of network information security. He also called for efforts to facilitate innovation in the command modes and the transformation of combat methods. Xi demanded the information support force adhere to the fundamental principle of the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces. He called for efforts to improve conduct, enforce discipline and combat corruption, stressing that the force must be entirely loyal, pure and reliable. He urged the Party committee of the information support force to shoulder its responsibility in developing the force, and to build a team of highly competent professionals. Xi requested coordinated efforts from the CMC, as well as other relevant authorities and units, to promote the development of the information support force. Senior military officials Zhang Youxia, He Weidong, Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin attended the event.
Aerospace Force
A Chinese defense spokesperson said The Aerospace Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is a brand-new strategic arm of the PLA. Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to media inquiries regarding the Force, which was established on 19 April 2024. Wu noted that with this round of reform, the PLA now features a new system of services including the army, the navy, the air force and the rocket force, and arms including the aerospace force, the cyberspace force, the information support force and the joint logistic support force, under the leadership and command of the Central Military Commission. Regarding the aerospace force and the cyberspace force, Wu said building the aerospace force is of great significance to strengthening the capacity to safely enter, exit and openly use space, enhancing crisis management and the efficacy of comprehensive governance in space and promoting peaceful utilization of space. Space is a shared asset of humanity. Space security provides strategic assurance for national and social development. China's space policy is clear. China is "committed to peaceful utilization of space and stand ready to work with all countries with the same commitment to strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation and contribute to lasting peace and common security in space". Space is becoming a new focus of strategic wrestling and a new “battlefield” of arms race for major countries in the world. Since US President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a Space Force, the weaponization and militarization of space has become a hotly discussed topic, and some other countries have followed suit. At present, competition in the space field is particularly complex and fierce. In 2015, Russia established the Aerospace Forces, which is responsible for monitoring space targets and eliminating threats from space. The US military has also begun to lay out in the space field. As early as the 1980s, the US military established the Air Force Space Command, becoming the first operational space command in the US armed forces. In 2019, under the strong push of then-US President Trump, the US military established the US Space Force, thus becoming the sixth branch of the US military and the first new branch of the military since the establishment of the US Air Force in 1947. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would establish a military space force command in September 2019, turning the country’s Air Force into an “Aerospace Force.” The media predicted that more NATO members would put forward similar strategies as the intergovernmental military alliance planned to recognize space as an independent domain of warfare. Some major countries have consecutively unveiled their own military operations or strategies related to space. Jamie Shea, an analyst with the think tank Friends of Europe and a former NATO official, said, “Whoever controls space also controls what happens on land, on the sea and in the air… Unable to control space, it is difficult to control the other domains of war.” The new round of space arms race provoked by the Trump administration has opened more and more “Pandora's boxes.” Many great powers are joining in the space arms race, stirring up widespread concern around the world. Obviously, the US is the most active country in establishing a Space Force. Since President Trump took office, the US government has followed a strategy of competition with major countries and repeatedly advocated “preparing for space wars,” increasingly accelerating the pace in the militarization of space. In 2017, the US military launched the Space Flag-2017 joint exercise, pushing space warfare from the strategic level to the tactic level. In 2018, the US issued the Doctrine for Space Operations to provide detailed guidance for commanding, controlling, planning, executing and assessing joint space operations of the US military, organized the Schriever Wargame 2018 to explore new theories about space warfare, and established the Space Force Command as the US military’s 11th unified combatant command, with an aim to forge an independent Space Force. As one of the world’s earliest countries engaged in space launches, France had laid a certain foundation in space technologies, although it isn’t a first-class space power in the world. Given its inadequate capacity in building a Space Force on its own, France would opt to leverage the third party to promote the building of its military space force in the future. Moreover, as a major founding country of the European Space Agency (ESA) and a key member of the EU and the NATO, France would be able to coordinate and leverage European forces and use the conflict between the US and Russia to seek benefits from both sides. In fact, while maintain close cooperation with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), ESA has established cooperation relationship with the Russian Federal Space Agency, and the two sides are working together to develop a new-generation of Soyuz carrier rocket. On March 27, 2019, India declared the success of Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite test, making India the fourth country with the anti-satellite capacity after nations like the US and Russia. Then, India established the Defence Space Agency (DSA) in April, and created the Defense Space Research Organization (DSRO) in June to develop space warfare systems and technologies, such as directed energy weapons, laser weapons and co-orbital weapons. Japan had also taken active action to strength its space capacity. Its new National Defense Program Guidelines called for enhancing the country’s capacity for space warfare including space monitoring. In recent years, Japan has launched several reconnaissance satellites and military communication satellites. It has also planned to form a space monitoring network. All of these indicate that its military space policy has come from backstage to forestage. The trend of using science and technology to promote space militarization is far ahead of the curve. Major military and space powers like the United States, Russia and China have even begun deploying space weapons. These developments could trigger a new round of arms race, with disastrous consequences for the world. The process of militarization of space is constantly advancing, which would have an incalculable impact on future combat styles. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's aerospace science and technology has gone through three stages of development: independently developing the "two bombs and one satellite" to solve the problem of creating cutting-edge national defense technology from scratch; independently building a huge system of aerospace research and industry to solve the scale problem of the technology system; independently implementing world-class projects such as lunar exploration, manned space flight and global navigation systems to accelerate the breakthrough of key areas and key core technologies. In the continuous struggle, China's aerospace industry has accumulated historical experience such as self-reliance, independent innovation, key breakthroughs, and concentrating efforts on major tasks. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Party Committee of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has taken Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide, thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on building a space power, insisted on putting the country first and strengthening the military as its primary responsibility, united and led the vast number of cadres and employees to forge ahead and innovate, and achieved a series of important results in key equipment, manned spaceflight, lunar and Mars exploration, Beidou navigation, high-resolution observation, and other areas, providing strong strategic support for further enhancing my country's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength, and national cohesion. Riding on the favorable conditions brought by the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, all cadres and employees of the group company would unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, never forget the original intention of serving the country through aerospace, bravely shoulder the mission of building a strong aerospace country, and strive to form a development model of "high quality to ensure success, high efficiency to complete tasks, and high efficiency to promote the construction of a strong aerospace country and national defense", and make new contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the comprehensive promotion of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.PLA Cyberspace Force
The Cyberspace Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, located in Haidian District , Beijing , is an independent branch of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It is directly led by the Central Military Commission and is responsible for cyberspace and information security , network offense and defense, and computer network systems. On April 19, 2024, the founding ceremony of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Information Support Force was grandly held at the Beijing Bayi Building. According to the decision of the Central Military Commission, the newly formed Information Support Force would be directly led and commanded by the Central Military Commission. At the same time, the Strategic Support Force designation would be revoked, and the leadership and management relationship of the military aerospace force and cyberspace force would be adjusted accordingly. Cybersecurity is a global challenge and a serious security threat facing China. Promoting the construction of cyberspace forces and vigorously developing cybersecurity defense means are of great significance to strengthening the national cyber border defense, timely detecting and resisting cyber intrusions, and safeguarding national cyber sovereignty and information security. We actively advocate the construction of a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace, and are committed to working with the international community to build a cyber community with a shared future. Cyberspace forces are professional and technical arms for dealing with complex battlefields in cyberspace; information support forces are strategic arms, and are the key support for supporting various services and arms in coordinating the construction and use of network information systems in joint command operations. Because of the nature of the organization, it is unlikely that outsiders will join. The most likely possibility is that the military will recruit such technical personnel from outside for civilian positions, but it is also possible that they can only be trained in military academies. However, the relatively closed system may lead to technological disconnection, because many military IT technologies are now outsourced to third-party companies, and network security technology is still closer to reality from enterprises. Moreover, many top technologies in the confrontation between offense and defense also have to come from overseas. The military is too closed. In fact, the military leaders are fully aware of the difficulty and complexity of this work. It is not simply to establish information security technology protection solutions, such as simply deploying some firewalls, intrusion detection, document protection and network supervision systems; nor is it simply to mention relatively independent security control measures at the system level such as level protection and risk assessment. This terminology of breaking through technical limitations, requiring in-depth theoretical research, emphasizing the innovation of the sound legal system and improving comprehensive defense capabilities, the focus of the military's information security work is on "people". The Israeli attacks 17 September 2024 on pagers, walkie-talkies and other communication equipment in Lebanon used remote manipulation of communication tools to launch indiscriminate attacks, causing large-scale civilian casualties and creating social panic unheard of in history. This explosion actually showed a new combat style in cyberspace warfare - even primitive and old communication facilities such as pagers can produce large-scale explosions and bring more serious panic effects by installing explosives in the hardware and leaving "backdoors" in the software through remote network control. Some experts believe that this incident is a typical example of the integration of cyber warfare and physical warfare principles in today's world conflicts, which will usher in a new stage of cyber warfare. Cyberspace warfare is the future. The cyberspace force, one of the four major arms of the People's Liberation Army, plays an extremely important role in strengthening the country's cyber border defense, timely detecting and resisting cyber intrusions, and safeguarding the country's cyber sovereignty and information security. Grasping the development trend of intelligent unmanned, the information support force came into being. This is a newly created strategic branch of the military, which is the key support for the overall construction and use of the network information system. It plays an important role and has great responsibilities in promoting the high-quality development of our army and winning modern wars. Building this new force will help accelerate the modernization of national defense and the army and effectively fulfill the mission and tasks of the people's army in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a strong cyber power are an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core has focused on the general trend of the times and made important judgments that China's economy has shifted from a high-speed growth stage to a high-quality development stage and that informatization has played a leading role in economic and social development, raising the construction of a strong cyber power to a strategic height that concerns national prosperity and national rejuvenation. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continuously deepens the study and implementation of the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, more deeply understands and consciously implements General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a cyber power, integrates them with corporate strategy, comprehensively implements the digital aerospace strategy, continuously improves the core competitiveness of the enterprise, strives to build a leading enterprise in the development of industrial informatization, strives to become a pioneer and vanguard of new advantages and new momentum in the field of digital economy, and contributes aerospace power to the process of building a cyber power and digital China. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on building a cyber power reflect the profound grasp of the historical opportunities of the information revolution by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, reveal the inherent laws of Internet information work, and provide fundamental guidelines and action guides for accelerating the development of informatization in my country. Strengthening the Party's centralized and unified leadership over cybersecurity and informatization work is a strong political guarantee for building a cyberpower. The most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The Party is the highest political leadership force. Facing the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, we must deeply understand the decisive significance of the "two establishments", constantly enhance the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidences", and achieve the "two safeguards". We must fully, deeply and accurately grasp the scientific connotation and practical requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a cyberpower, and effectively enhance the sense of responsibility, mission and urgency of "modernization construction, informatization first", enhance the ideological, political and behavioral consciousness of implementation, accelerate the development of network security and informatization, and effectively transform the practical power of building a cyberpower into a strong driving force for building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The construction of a cyber power provides solid digital support for high-quality development. High-quality development requires the complete, accurate and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, the strengthening of the deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, and the insistence on reshaping the governance model with digital technology systems to support the full-domain process connection, efficient collaboration, overall intelligent governance, and rapid agility, and comprehensively improve the level of digital governance and modern governance capabilities. Facing the requirement of "adhering to the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence", aerospace enterprises must adhere to the principles of high quality, high efficiency, low cost, and sustainability, promote the deep integration of digital technology with product verification, design, manufacturing, and assurance throughout the entire life cycle, promote the modernization of equipment, and provide strong power and strong guarantee for aerospace power. The strategic deployment of building a strong cyber power and a digital China has pointed out the direction for the construction of digital aerospace. In 2020, CASIC identified digital aerospace as a major strategy of CASIC at the first strategic work conference of the group company. Focusing on the strategic deployment of building a strong aerospace power made at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it clarified the strategic roadmap for digital innovation and development in 2025, 2035 and the middle of this century, and focused on promoting the full integration of data as a production factor into corporate operations and management, comprehensively reconstructing the digital value system, rebuilding the digital organization and operation system, reshaping the digital culture and ecological system, breaking through development bottlenecks, realizing intelligent products and services, online business, intelligent operations, and digital enterprises, and forming a knowledge-driven new digital aerospace business system. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a strong cyber power have guided the construction of digital aerospace and achieved remarkable results. CASIC resolutely implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a cyber power and a series of decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, and has systematically implemented them in the construction of digital aerospace, helping to achieve new breakthroughs in the digitalization of equipment research and production, to take the digitalization of corporate governance to a new level, and to achieve new results in the construction of digital infrastructure. Comprehensively improve the digitalization and intelligence level of equipment research and production. Performing duties with high quality and developing high-quality advanced equipment are the sacred mission, political responsibility and the first responsibility entrusted to CASIC by the Party and the people. Only by implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on building a strong cyber power, accelerating the construction of equipment digitalization, and promoting the upgrading and intelligent development of equipment entities, can we seize the initiative and win the future in the increasingly fierce international competition. CASIC uses the deep integration of digital technology and system engineering methods as a means to enhance the digitalization capabilities of equipment throughout the life cycle. The equipment research and production management system achieves full coverage of business activities, full access to units at all levels, and full closed-loop management of model products. Comprehensively introduce model-based system engineering (MBSE) methods and means to achieve full access to the general department and the final assembly plant, build a number of high-standard, intelligent, and flexible production lines and smart workshops, increase the production capacity of typical products by more than 30%, and significantly enhance the equipment supply capacity. We have promoted the integrated development of mechanization, informatization and intelligence of equipment, actively applied artificial intelligence, geographic information systems and new generation communication technologies in an independent and practical manner, formed a complete system, and strongly supported the formation of combat and support capabilities of relevant high-tech equipment in an organized and systematic manner. The equipment delivery capability and system combat strength have been greatly improved, achieving leapfrog development. In January 1931, Mao Zedong and Zhu De jointly issued the "Order to Transfer Students to Learn Radio", and then established the Red Army Radio Training Class; in March 1949, the "Military Commission Engineering School" was established in Zhangjiakou, marking the official establishment of the college .[13]After the founding of New China, it developed into the Second Department of the Military Commission Engineering School. Later, the school moved several times and changed its name several times. On December 10, 1950, the General Intelligence Department of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government was established to manage three departments: the Intelligence Department, the Technology Department, and the Liaison Department, under the direct leadership of the Chief of General Staff. Among them, the Technical Department of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government is also called the Third Department of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government. On February 29, 1953, the General Intelligence Department of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government was abolished, and its subordinate departments were subsequently placed under the General Staff Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1954 . Among them, the original Technology Department was changed to the Technical Reconnaissance Department of the General Staff Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (also known as the Third Department of the General Staff Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, referred to as the Third Department of the General Staff Department). Later, the designation was set as Unit 61195 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Before the reform in 2016, the Technical Reconnaissance Department of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army consisted of: Political Department, Logistics Department, General Bureau, Science and Technology Equipment Bureau, Science and Technology Information Bureau, and the First Bureau (stationed in Beijing ), the Second Bureau (stationed in Shanghai ), the Third Bureau (stationed in Beijing), the Fourth Bureau (stationed in Beijing ), the Fourth Bureau (stationed in Shanghai, Qingdao City ), the Fifth Bureau (stationed in Beijing ), the Sixth Bureau (stationed in Wuhan City ) the Seventh Bureau (stationed in Beijing ), the Eighth Bureau (stationed in Beijing), Ninth Bureau (stationed in Beijing City), Tenth Bureau (stationed in Beijing City ) [ 17 ] , Eleventh Bureau (stationed in Beijing City ), Twelfth Bureau (stationed in Shanghai ), Computing Center Station (in Beijing ), etc. In December 1965, after Yang Chengwu took charge of the work of the General Staff Headquarters, he instructed the Communications Corps to study and organize the Radar Department. However, due to interference from the Cultural Revolution , this work was interrupted. After Yang Chengwu returned to the General Staff Headquarters in 1974, he paid great attention to the new development and combat application of electronic countermeasures technology in the world. He often discussed with relevant personnel and wrote many reports to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, advocating the strengthening of the construction of electronic countermeasures forces. In September 1975, the General Staff Headquarters decided to establish a preparatory group for the Fourth General Staff Department from the General Staff Communications Department. On December 18, 1975, Ye Jianying submitted the "Report on Strengthening Electronic Countermeasures Work" to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong , recommending the formation of an electronic countermeasures and radar management leading group of the State Council and the Central Military Commission, and the establishment of the Fourth Department of the General Staff. In June 1976, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China appointed Qu Peiyu (in charge of daily work), Sun Yuheng , Li Wenchang , and Shen Zhongyi as deputy ministers of the Fourth Department of the General Staff. [ 21 ] In November 1976, the Electronic Countermeasures and Radar Management Leading Group of the State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly proposed by Ye Jianying and Yang Chengwu began to work. In April 1977, the Electronic Countermeasures and Radar Department of the General Staff Headquarters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was formally established. In April 1977, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China appointed Wang Zheng as concurrent minister, and in October 1978, Li Guang was appointed as political commissar. After Wang Zheng died of illness in 1978, Qu Peiyu was appointed Minister of the Fourth Department of the General Staff in January 1980. In August 1982, the Fourth Department of the General Staff was merged into the Communications Department of the General Staff and was called the Fourth Department of the General Staff Communications Department. The name of the Fourth Department of the General Staff was retained externally. In August 1985, the Fourth Department of the Communications Department of the General Staff was restored to become a department directly under the General Staff, called the Electronic Countermeasures Radar Department of the General Staff, with Minister Jin Qingfeng and Vice Minister Zhang Youcai. In the late 1980s, the Electronic Countermeasures Radar Department of the General Staff Headquarters had a military product finalization committee. Before the reform in 2016, the Electronic Countermeasures Department of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (also known as the " Fourth Department of the General Staff ") consisted of: Political Department, First Bureau , and Radar Bureau, Science and Technology Equipment Bureau (Third Bureau), Fourth Bureau, Electronic Countermeasures Brigade, Optoelectronic Countermeasures Room, Chinese People's The 54th Research Institute of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army ( the 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation ), Electronic Engineering Institute of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Hefei Retirement Center for Retired Cadres, Military Representative Office in Beijing, Military Representative Office in Chengdu, Military Representative Office in Guilin, Military Representative Office in Shenyang, Military Representative Office in Nanjing Regional Military Representative Office, Regional Military Representative Office in Hangzhou, Military Representative Office in Xi'an Region, etc. In the process of deepening the reform of national defense and the army , the Chinese People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force was newly established at the end of 2015. In January 2016, the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Staff Headquarters and its subordinate Chinese People's Liberation Army General Staff Technical Reconnaissance Department and Chinese People's Liberation Army General Staff Department were abolished. Electronic Countermeasures Division. In July 2017, the Network System Department of the Strategic Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Cyberspace Force) was formally established, mainly composed of the former General Staff Department 3, 4 (part), 2 (part) and the General Armament Department (part) It is composed of relevant parts of other departments. The designation was changed to Unit 32069 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In April 2024, the Central Military Commission adjusted and established the Information Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army , and at the same time revoked the designation of the Strategic Support Force, and accordingly adjusted the leadership and management relationships of the military aerospace force and cyberspace force. Organizational setup staff department Political Work Department Logistics Department (Unit 32047) Equipment Department-
Shanghai Military Representative Office
Tianjin Military Representative Office
Nanjing Military Representative Office
Chengdu Military Representative Office
Guangzhou Military Representative Office
Shenzhen Military Representative Office
Wuhan Military Representative Office
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
