On 19 April the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced it had established an Information Support Force as a strategic arm of the PLA. Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a flag to the force at its establishment ceremony held in Beijing.
President Xi, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stressed solid efforts to build a strong and modernised information support force.
President Xi said that the establishment of the Information Support Force is a major decision that the CPC Central Committee and the CMC has made in light of the overall need of building a strong military. He stressed that the Information Support Force is a new, strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system. It will play a crucial role in advancing the Chinese military’s high-quality development and competitiveness in modern warfare. He ordered the Force to “resolutely obey the Party’s command, and make sure it stays absolutely loyal, pure and reliable.”
President Xi urged the Force to “integrate deeply into the Chinese military’s joint operation system, carry out information support operations in a precise and effective manner, and facilitate military operations in various directions and fields.” He also urged efforts to build a network information system that fulfills the requirements of modern warfare and features the Chinese military’s own characteristics, as well as efforts to accelerate the development of integrated combat capabilities more effectively.
Source: PLA.
