4 reasons why Xi Jinping took direct control of the military and dismantled the 'high-profile' SSF

Chinese President Xi Jinping's April 19 disbandment of China's much-publicized Strategic Support Force (SSF) to create three parallel divisions, all reporting directly to the Central Military Commission (CMC), of which he is chairman, appears to further strengthen his power. power and position as supreme leader of the country.

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Xi has now created a new branch called the Information Support Force (ISF). The aerospace and cyber units, previously grouped under the umbrella of the Strategic Support Force, created in 2015, will now be organizationally parallel to the newly created ISF.

Li Wei, the political commissar of the now-defunct Strategic Support Force, will take on the same role within the Information Support Force. Bi Yi is the new commander of the Information Support Force.

The position of the former commander of the Strategic Support Force, General Ju Qiansheng, whose disappearance had sparked speculation that he was linked to the wider turmoil within the Chinese military leadership that unfolded over the The past year is not known.

With the latest reform, the entire Chinese Army (PLA) now has a new service and weapons system under the leadership and command of the CMC: four services, namely the army, navy, the Air Force and Rocket Force (responsible for nuclear weapons) and four branches of the Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force and Joint Logistics Support Force.

It appears that Xi views the establishment of the information support force as a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC in light of the overall need to build a strong military.

The information support force is a new strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the networked information system. According to the Chinese supreme leader, it will play a crucial role in the high-quality development and competitiveness of the Chinese military in modern warfare.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference on April 19 that the ISF is a completely new strategic branch of the PLA and a key pillar of coordinated development and application of the networked information system, which plays an important role. It plays an important role and bears great responsibility in promoting high-quality development and the ability to fight and win in modern warfare.

The ISF consumed much of Wu's time, although he also explained the importance of the other two forces. In fact, this reform will strengthen the independence of aerospace and cyber warfare units.

He said the cyber force was needed to strengthen national border cyber defense, detect and counter network intrusions and maintain information security.

He said the aerospace force will improve China's access to and ability to use space. We are committed to the peaceful use of space and are ready to work with all countries with the same commitment to strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation and contribute to lasting peace and common security in space , did he declare.

A commentary article published by the PLA Daily on April 20said that the establishment of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China is a major decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission and President Xi Jinping in view of strengthening comprehensive national defense, This is a strategic measure to build a new type of service and weapons structure and improve China's modern military force system. It is of profound significance to accelerating national defense and military modernization and effectively fulfilling the PLA's mission in the new era.

In modern warfare, victory depends on information. The struggle takes place between systems, and whoever has information superiority holds the initiative in war, the commentary explains.

Networked information technology has become the “biggest variable” in the development of our times and a crucial factor in improving the combat capability of the armed forces. As a newly established strategic branch, the Information Support Force provides the key support for the coordinated construction and use of the networked information system.

The commentary said it plays an important and significant role in promoting the high-quality development of the Chinese military and achieving victory in modern warfare.

It is worth noting that in 2015, Xi's military reorganization sought to modernize the PLA by reducing its approximately 2.3 million-strong force by 300,000. He reshuffled the seven military regions into five theater commands and created the rocket branch and the FSS. Xi also transferred key functions such as logistics, training and mobilization directly under the command of the CMC, which he chairs.

It should also be noted that under the FSS, information forces existed and were responsible for collecting technical intelligence and providing intelligence support to regional military leaders. When the SSF was created, it reorganized existing capabilities under a new command structure. We guessed at the time that this might be a transition, and now it has, according to Joe McReynolds, a Chinese security researcher at the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation.

In fact, until recently, Chinese commentators have highly praised the performance of the FSS. The space force known as the Space Systems Department operated several satellite launch centers and training bases across China. It managed communications and intelligence satellites, provided space reconnaissance, and used the BeiDou satellite navigation system to facilitate military operations.

The cyber force known as the Department of Network Systems was responsible for defending and attacking computer networks, defending and attacking electromagnetically, and collecting intelligence by intercepting signals.

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Reportedly, the ESF, together with the Eastern Theater Command's naval, air, rocket and joint logistics support forces, conducted unprecedented military exercises around the self-ruled island of Taiwan in August 2022 after that Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, conducted unprecedented military exercises around the self-governing island of Taiwan. Representatives visited Taipei.

These exercises included a simulated joint blockade of the island. Chinese media subsequently reported how the ESF improved the PLA's integrated and joint operational capabilities.

Chinese media also reported that security forces had successfully held training exercises using countermeasures in response to simulated drone attacks and network penetration by enemies.

The force has also previously conducted exercises involving electromagnetic confrontation, in which a ground forces unit under the Central Theater Command participated in an exercise. Chinese media described this as breaking down barriers between different military branches.

It is in this context that Xi's sudden dissolution surprised many. However, some possible explanations can be mentioned:

• First, Xi is believed to have been unhappy with the way the Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down by the United States last year; for him, it was a failure of intelligence and a lack of synergies between the different divisions of the SSF. This is why he would have decided to restructure the SSF.
• Second, the SFF would be heavily dependent on advanced technology and would become increasingly vulnerable to U.S. efforts to curb high-tech exports to China and limit the country's military-civil fusion strategy based on the recruitment of high-tech talents, cooperation with academic institutions and the country's private sector. It is said that more than 80 percent of the technology used in the Chinese military comes from civilian sectors. With this in mind, the separation of cyber, space and information operations could be a step towards hiding this merger, to some extent. Of course, its success will remain to be seen.
• Third, Xi's lack of trust in the SSF must also be taken into account in his attempts to curb the endemic and widespread corruption within the Chinese military. As we have already noted, the whereabouts of Lieutenant General Ju Gansheng, Commander of the Security Forces, are still unknown. It was rumored that he was involved in military procurement fraud. Xi systematically sidelines potentially corrupt military leaders and severs their ties with military companies, an exercise that has also resulted in the public disappearance of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu since 2023.
• Fourth, and perhaps most important, are Xi's attempts to remove layers of command and allow him and his closest CMC leaders to speak directly to tactical forces. Here, the aforementioned PLA daily commentary is important to note.

He said the ISF must resolutely follow the Party's orders, ensuring absolute loyalty, purity and reliability. It must provide significant support to combat operations, integrate deeply into the army's overall joint operational system, and provide accurate and effective information support to serve and guarantee military operations in all directions and in all domains.

Using words such as loyalty, purity and party leadership seems to fit well with Xi's total control and direct interactions with increasingly smaller military formations, which he has favored since his 2015 reforms, which aimed to remove command levels and to enable senior leaders to speak directly to tactical forces in wartime, if necessary.

• Seasoned author and journalistPrakash Nandais Chairman of the Editorial Board of EurAsian Times and has commented on politics, foreign policy and strategic affairs for almost three decades. A former National Fellow of the Indian Council for Historical Research and recipient of the Seoul Peace Prize Fellowship, he is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
• CONTACT: prakash.nanda (at) hotmail.com
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