Nikkei Asia | Xi Jinping's vision of war seen in creation of 'Information Force'

The latest restructuring of China's People's Liberation Army has put a spotlight on President Xi Jinping's concept of information as a central element of modern warfare. The reorganization, unveiled on April 19, has broken up the PLA's Strategic Support Force (SSF), formed only eight years ago, into an Aerospace Force, a Cyberspace Force and a new Information Support Force (ISF). Read the full article here.

Firstpost | What SSF’s disbandment tells us about Chinese policymaking under Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s concentration of power over the past decade has heightened concerns about the efficiency and flexibility of policymaking in China. Three questions have been key to this discourse. First, has concentration of power and centralisation of decision-making enabled breaking through bureaucratic and vested interests to enact changes? Second, what has been the impact of centralisation on the flow of information within the system, particularly to the top leader? Third, has centralisation of power led to greater rigidity in policy thinking and implementation, resulting in the persistence of evidently adverse choices? The recent decision to disband the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force (SSF) and create three specialised arms offers an interesting case study in this context. Read the full article here.