China’s new-look army: Xi Jinping tells top military academy to overhaul courses and train commanders in joint operations

The military’s top academy was told yesterday to focus on training commanders for joint forces operations amid a massive overhaul of the world’s largest standing army.

In his first visit to the PLA National Defence University as the Central Military Commission’s highest commander, President Xi Jinping told the college to overhaul its courses and teaching methods, gearing them to foster officers who can command joint operations.

Preparing the PLA for joint operations has been one of the key goals of military reforms launched by Xi late last year. The aim of the shift is to transform the outdated decades-old army-centred command system into a Western-style joint command, in which the army, navy and air force are equally represented.

Innovation crucial for PLA, Chinese president tells military NPC delegates gathered in Beijing

In his speech to junior and senior officers at the military university, Xi reiterated that political education was the top priority.

He also reminded them to study the spirit of the 1929 Gutian Conference held in Fujian province, where late chairman Mao Zedong consolidated the principle of “the party controls the gun”.

Xi also urged the PLA to uphold the traditional spirit of the PLA’s predecessor, the Red Army.

The visit comes after the downfall of two former CMC vice-chairmen, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, in Xi’s anti-graft campaign.