BEIJING: China will reduce its army reserve while increasing reserves for other services, said a senior officer of the country’s national defense mobilization department on the sidelines of the ongoing sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Sheng Bin, chief of the National Defense Mobilization Department of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), said while the army reserve will be reduced, the reserves of other military services including the navy, air force and the rocket force will be increased in a bid to keep up with China’s military build up, as the military reform has made headway.
The structure of the reserve forces will adapt to information warfare from traditional combat-oriented and mechanized ones, said the chief.
According to the CMC guideline, a new structure will be established in which the CMC will take charge of the overall administration of the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese People’s Armed Police and the militia and reserve forces. The battle zone commands will focus on combat preparedness, and various military services will pursue development.
Major General Chen Zhou of the PLA Academy of Military Science said on Thursday that many officers will retire and will be assigned to new positions in this round of military reform.
