Joint command reform not begun, paper says

The Ministry of National Defence denied that the PLA was already moving ahead with plans to set up a joint command headquarters to improve co-ordination between different military branches, state media reported.

The defence ministry released a statement on Friday saying it was "exploring" setting up a joint command mechanism for the People's Liberation Army, without elaboration.

But the , a nationalist tabloid published by the Communist Party's , quoted an unnamed "authoritative figure" with the ministry yesterday as saying no trial project was in the works.

The ministry did not respond to a fax seeking clarification of the reports yesterday.

Military observers have said reform of the military's command structure was needed because each part remains highly independent of each other, making centralised control and joint combat missions difficult. The country also faces greater security threats at sea, increasing the need for closer co-ordination between land and naval forces

The defence ministry statement last week did not spell out a timeframe for structural reforms.