While India continues to be absorbed in its long-drawn elections, the rest of the world is moving ahead with its own priorities. Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping undertook a comprehensive restructuring of his country's armed forces when he made a surprising decision to dissolve the Strategic Support Force (SSF), a military division he established in 2015 to merge various capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), including space, cyber, electronic, and psychological warfare.

In its stead, Xi introduced the Information Support Force, which he described as "a fresh strategic component of the PLA and a crucial support for the coordinated advancement and utilisation of the network information system". As a result of this revised framework, the PLA now comprises four primary branches: the ground forces, naval forces, air forces, and the rocket forces. Additionally, there are now four auxiliary units: three divisions derived from the SSF, and the Joint Logistic Support Force.

While Xi himself underscored the importance of the move in enabling the Chinese military to effectively "engage and triumph in contemporary warfare", his extensive anti-corruption campaign within the PLA last year precipitated this restructuring. It implicated influential generals and caused significant disruption within the rocket force, a prestigious division responsible for managing China's rapidly expanding cache of nuclear and ballistic missiles. The restructuring strengthens Xi's direct oversight of the PLA's strategic capacities and emphasises China's aspirations to proficiently harness........

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