Xi urges breakthroughs in military structural reform

President Xi Jinping (front, C) poses for a group photo at a meeting on reforming the armed forces in Beijing Nov 26, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

Solving the problem of weak discipline enforcement and inspection, auditing and judicial supervision processes of the military are paramount, Xi said, pledging to eradicate the "soil" of corruption with stricter rules and systems.

A new discipline inspection commission will be established within the CMC and disciplinary inspectors will be sent to CMC departments and zone commands.

The CMC will have an audit office and a political and legal affairs commission. The independent and fair exertion of judicial power by military courts and procuratorates will be ensured with adjustments to the military judicial system.

The structure of troops will be optimized to improve the quality and efficiency of the army. A "revolution" of the management of the military will be rolled out with modern management techniques so that the army is managed professionally, Xi said.

China will cut its troops by 300,000. Administrative and non-combatant personnel in the military will be downsized. The proportion and structure of forces among different services will be streamlined to suit new security needs and operations.

Xi urged the military to "stand in strategic commanding heights" in future competition and promote innovations to drive the army's fighting capability, calling for more to be done in developing national defense science and technology, including frontier research in both major technology and new concepts.

Military personnel management should be streamlined with adherence with the CPC's leadership so that the military's human resource can be turned into the army's capability in combat, Xi said. Reforms will be carried out and deepened in the management of all personnel, as well as the systems of medical care, insurance, housing and payments for servicemen.

Management style should fit the professional traits of the military members and the sense of honor, pride and morale, Xi stressed.