New force for China’s PLA eyes modern warfare information support
- The new unit will take over the information functions of the now-disbanded Strategic Support Force
- New force is ‘a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system’, according to President Xi Jinping
The Chinese military has created a new information support unit that analysts say will help boost its gathering and sharing of information to support other units.
The Information Support Force, which was inaugurated in a ceremony hosted by President Xi Jinping on Friday, has taken over some of the functions of the Strategic Support Force (SSF).
That force, which was established in 2015 to expand the People’s Liberation Army’s cyber, space, electronic and psychological warfare capabilities, was disbanded at the same event.
Two of the SSF’s units – the military aerospace force and cyberspace force – will remain as independent forces, reporting directly to the Central Military Commission under a new command structure.
The aerospace force will be responsible for “strengthening the capacity to safely enter, exit and openly use space, enhancing crisis management and the efficacy of comprehensive governance in space”, according to Wu Qian, a spokesman for the defence ministry.
The cyberspace force will be tasked with enhancing national cyber defence, detecting and countering network intrusions and maintaining national cyber sovereignty and information security, he added.
