Beyond Borders: PLA Command and Control of Overseas Operations

Authors

Dr. Phillip C. Saunders, Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, Institute for National Strategic Studies, at the National Defense University

Files

Description

China’s latest round of military reforms is driven primarily by Xi Jinping’s ambition to reshape the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to improve its ability to win informationized [xinxihua, 信息化] wars and to ensure that it remains loyal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The reforms are unprecedented in their ambition and in the scale and scope of the organizational changes. Virtually every part of the PLA now reports to different leaders, has had its mission and responsibilities changed, has lost or gained subordinate units, or has undergone a major internal reorganization. The relationships between and among the Central Military Commission (CMC) departments, offices, and commissions, the services, and the theater commands (TCs) have all changed. The reforms established new joint command and control mechanisms and thus have important implications for how the PLA conducts operations within and beyond China’s borders.

Publication Date

7-2020

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Recommended Citation

Saunders, Dr. Phillip C., "Beyond Borders: PLA Command and Control of Overseas Operations" (2020). Strategic Forums. 11.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/strategic-forums/11