China’s President, Xi Jinping, Gains a New Title: Commander in Chief

The New York Times

21 April 2016

A camouflage-clad President Xi Jinping appeared on Wednesday at the joint battle command center of China’s Central Military Commission, where he urged officers to build a command system that was “capable of winning wars,” according to state news reports.

Mr. Xi, who is general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, which runs the country’s armed forces. After his visit on Wednesday, a new title was unveiled in the state and party news media: commander in chief of the joint battle command center.

Although predecessors like President Hu Jintao delegated operational responsibilities to professional soldiers, the new title reflects Mr. Xi’s desire to have a more direct role, said You Ji, who oversees the department of government and public administration at the University of Macau.

… The Chinese military has traditionally suffered from weak coordination of its various forces, something Mr. Xi hopes to change, said Michael Raska, assistant professor in the Military Transformations Programme at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“This long, funky title is part of accelerating reforms at the operational level,” Mr. Raska said.

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Last updated on 22/04/2016