INDO-PACIFIC Military Delegates to ’s “Two Meetings” Discuss Enhancing Joint Training, Interoperability OE Watch Commentary: Joint operations and training make regular appearance in Chinese national policy. Some recent appearances were President Xi Jinping’s 19th Communist Party Work Report in last October, and Premier Li Keqiang’s Work Report at the National People’s Congress in March. The accompanying passages from the PLA Daily provide insight into recent developments regarding Chinese joint operations and training.

PLA Daily Reporters Liu Jianwei 刘建伟 and Zhou Yuan 周远 spoke with military representatives to the “Two Meetings” 两会 in this March. The “Two Meetings” are the annual convocations of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference—two State (distinct from Communist Party) representative bodies. A cross section of Chinese society, including the military, is invited to participate. The representatives gave their views regarding improvements in joint and combined training.

The Chinese Military’s sweeping reorganization plan, which begun on 31 December 2015, has already undergone two major phases: “Neck and Above,” 脖子以上 reorganization of the Central Military Commission, and “Below the Neck” 脖子以下 changes to operational units. The two components have put major stress on the PLA as it has to reconfigure its system of regulations and inter-organizational communication top to bottom.

Additionally, a major theme that is not said outright but clearly behind a lot of rhetoric included in the article is the adoption of an entirely new mindset. While it may seem intuitive that the PLA’s primary responsibility is preparing for conflict, the Chinese military has struggled with the widespread prevalence of a “garrison mindset.” Jinping and the Central Military Commission have therefore made adoption of “preparation for warfare” and realism in training top priorities. (See “Learning Without Fighting: New Developments in PLA Artificial Intelligence War- Gaming,” in this issue of OE Watch.) The opinions expressed by the representatives provide insight into ongoing progress.

Regarding equipment, one PLA Air Force Officer noted that as the PLAAF takes on more responsibility for transporting equipment from other services, it made communication with those services regarding equipment specifications more important. PLA Rocket Force Representative Ding Guolin 丁国林 highlighted the necessity of improving defense industry’s ability to take future joint operations into account and develop relevant equipment.

A major focus is improving understanding of other branches’ jobs. As mentioned by a representative from the 西部战区, staff officers from different branches are undergoing cross training to enhance understanding and communication. Special research exercises have been organized to “stress-test” the system and improve regulations.

These representatives, representing a swath of senior and lower-level military leaders across China’s military, are clearly focused on enhancing the role of officers in leading joint training throughout their respective services and branches.End OE Watch Commentary (Wood)

“Everyone is exploring a new model for joint training with other branches and forces.”

Source: “解放军和武警部队代表委员热议提升联合作战指挥能力(Representatives of the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force discuss improving joint operational command capability),” PLA Daily, 10 March 2019. http://www.mod.gov.cn/ power/2019-03/10/content_4837503.htm “A group of staff members will go to the National Defense University to receive joint operations command training.” “Everyone is exploring a new model for joint training with friendly arms.” Over the past few days, the [National People’s Congress] government work report was reviewed and discussed. The sections regarding improving the level of actual military training has made Representative Zang Jihui 臧继辉 very proud. During a break in the discussion, he frequently shared observations about improvements in joint training, and the question of how to improve realism in training is the question he thinks about the most. … In inspecting the Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission, President Xi stressed that leading cadres at all levels, especially senior cadres, should be prepared to fight. A representative from the Central Military Commission agreed, emphasizng that commander’s role as leading cadres of the army is preparing for war and that to fulfill this duty they must help plant joint operational concepts in their organizations. The representative told reporters that in the face of new requirements, they took the lead in breaking the thinking concept that was not compatible with joint operations, and formulated a set of scientific and standardized joint operational command procedures, and clearly required: joint training assessment, first test commander; On the duty of combat, the key is to look at the leading cadres... A series of solid measures have enabled the leading cadres of the theater to firmly establish the concept of joint operations and improve their command capabilities. OE Watch | May 2019 29 INDO-PACIFIC Continued: Military Delegates to China’s “Two Meetings” Discuss Enhancing Joint Training, Interoperability

Source: “解放军和武警部队代表委员热议提升联合作战指挥能力(Representatives of the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force discuss improving joint operational command capability),” PLA Daily, 10 March 2019. http://www.mod.gov.cn/ power/2019-03/10/content_4837503.htm

Central Theater Command 中部战区 Deputy Commander and Ground Forces Commander Fan Chengcai 范承才 said that on March 5, when he heard the government work report mention “improving the level of realistic combat military training and resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” at the Great Hall of the People [China’s national legislative building] he felt uplifted. He excitedly explained that as a leading cadre, we must strengthen our mission, reinforce our responsibilities, focus on joint training and update our thinking, act as leaders in preparing conflict, and improve our ability to perform our missions. …. A representative from the Western Theater Command 西部战区 said that on the basis of major training, border control, disaster relief and other tasks, the theater command regularly organized the rotation of the commanders, staff officers and support personnel at the same level, and led the command of the armed forces. They also conduct research-oriented command drills to improve all-round joint operational command capabilities at all levels. … Jointness will be decisive on future battlefields, and is therefore inseparable from peacetime training and exchanges between the services, branches and forces. Central Theater Command representative Tan Min 谭民 told reporters that the commander must play a key role in providing necessary support for the joint training of the troops, and lead the troops to expand on the basis of task-based training based on the ability-based training. Nowadays, the frequency of joint training is getting higher and higher, the joint combat skills mastered by officers and men improving, and familiarity with other military branches and services is increasing.... Representative Ding Guolin from the PLA Rocket Force said that in recent years, joint training has been limited, but that one after another, obstacles to joint operations are being eliminated. Ding said that “For the ability to enhance joint operations, the officers and men of the army have more expectations: the various arms and services can often communicate in depth, and the equipment manufacturers should consider the requirements of joint operations when developing weapons and equipment...” Listening to the representatives of the PLA and the armed police forces, the reporter seems to see that leading cadres at all levels are leading the officers and men, unswervingly moving toward unity and toward being able to achieve victory...

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