Beijing: China`s army will get a more prominent role under military reform proposals announced this week and there will also be more help for those who lose their jobs as a result of the changes, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.
President Xi Jinping unveiled a broad-brush outline of the reforms this week, seeking further modernisation of the command structure of the world`s largest armed forces to better enable it to win a modern war.
Xi is determined to modernise the military at the same time as China becomes more assertive in its territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas. China`s navy is investing in submarines and aircraft carriers, while the air force is developing stealth fighters.
His reforms include establishing a joint operational command structure by 2020 and rejigging existing military regions, as well as cutting troop numbers by 300,000.
Spokesman Yang Yujun shed a little more light on the reforms in a statement carried on the ministry`s website, saying an army leadership mechanism would be set up to centralise a command structure previously shared by four departments, including those responsible for logistics and politics.
"The army is an important force in our military," Yang said. "The setting up of this army mechanism will benefit ... raising management efficiency and accelerate military modernisation."
