Xi's thought guides reform of armed forces

President's goal is to build stronger, more integrated and more flexible PLA

Editor's Note: To mark the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, China Daily is publishing a series of stories elaborating on Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, expounding its main ideas from different angles.

The People's Liberation Army has been undergoing a historic reform guided by President Xi Jinping since late 2012, when Xi became the top leader of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese military. Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military has also made it clear that pursuing reform and encouraging innovation are key to military's strength.

The reform has resulted in the biggest, most important overhaul of the PLA in decades. The senior governing bodies of the world's largest military have been reshuffled－up to the Central Military Commission－to optimize the command chain. The regional command systems have been reorganized to boost joint combat capabilities. Group armies and institutions have been merged to improve efficiency, and new high-technology units have been set up to prepare for operations in nontraditional fields such as cyberspace.