Winning wars should be PLA's top responsibility', says Chinese military

BEIJING: As it embarked on major reforms, the Chinese military today said winning wars should be its top responsibility as "antagonist forces" unwilling to see China growing stronger are trying to contain the Communist state.

"Winning wars should be the top responsibility for the reorganised military agencies under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by President Xi Jinping," a commentary in the official daily of People's Liberation Army said.

The commentary, the second in a series since four military headquarters had been rearranged into 15 new agencies under the CMC by President Xi on Monday, said China's security situation faced several risks.

"The national security situation is facing new and profound changes with an increasing number of risks, challenges and interwoven conventional and unconventional security threats," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the daily as saying.

Unwilling to see socialist China grow stronger, "antagonist forces" are trying to contain the country, it said.

Underscoring the importance of safeguarding sovereignty, security and development, the PLA Daily article urged the CMC agencies to focus on winning wars while improving warfare capacity and quality.

The agencies should lose no time in adjusting to the new operational command system, actively engage in research, drawing up regulations and training personnel, to ensure a united, effective joint-command system, it said.

Besides the strategic rivalry with US, China is entangled in a maritime dispute in the South China Sea with Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

China is also locked up in a dispute with Japan over the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

Also the India-China border dispute remained unresolved even though both the countries have made efforts to improve relations and initiated several measures to keep the situation along the borders peaceful.

Xi on January 11 directed China's 2.3 million-member armed forces to strictly follow the orders of the ruling Communist Party and focus on winning wars as he reorganised the military headquarters structure firming up his grip on the world's largest army.
President Xi, who is also the CPC chief beside being the chairman of the CMC which makes him the strongest Chinese leader in recent times, said military leaders must adhere to the Party spirit, obey political discipline, and "be politically intelligent," with firm political faith and right political stance.

He had said that winning wars should be their central task.

Xi said that the military organs must concentrate on the study of military affairs, wars and how to fight battles and strengthen their awareness in preparing for war at any time.

In a major reform of the military, Xi has reorganised PLA's four military headquarters, staff, politics, logistics and armaments into 15 new agencies under the CMC.

The new structure includes new commissions -- discipline inspection, politics and law and science and technology as well as the general office, Xinhua report said.

The reform also includes formation of five more divisions, administration, auditing, international cooperation, reform, organisational structure and strategic planning.

There are six new departments -- joint staff, political work, logistical support, equipment development, training and national defence.

Xi described the reshuffle as "a breakthrough" and called the new leadership system "a crucial step" toward a stronger military.

This is part of major reforms initiated by Xi to revamp the PLA. His reforms include retrenchment of three lakh troops to make the force lean and mean.