China sets up new military regions

Xi Jinping has created five new military regions, replacing seven previous zones, in an effort to reform the 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and signal his firm control over the armed forces

PREVIOUS

REGIONS

3

1.

Lanzhou

2

2.

Beijing

1

3.

Shenyang

4.

Chengdu

5.

Guangzhou

4

7

6

6.

Nanjing

5

7.

Jinan

NEW “BATTLE ZONES”

NORTH

KOREA

RUSSIA

Headquarters

NORTH

MONGOLIA

Shenyang

Urumqi

SOUTH

KOREA

XINJIANG

Beijing

WEST

CENTRAL

West zone includes more than a third

of nation’s land-based military

JAPAN

TIBET

Nanjing

500km

EAST

INDIA

310 miles

Xi’s reforms include

establishing joint

operational command

structure by 2020, and

cutting troop numbers

by 300,000

Taiwan

Hong Kong

Guangzhou

Source: SCMP

Picture: Getty Images

© GRAPHIC NEWS

China sets up new

military regions

Xi Jinping has created five new military regions, replacing seven previous zones, in an effort to reform the 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and signal his firm control over the armed forces

PREVIOUS

REGIONS

3

1.

Lanzhou

2

2.

Beijing

1

3.

Shenyang

4.

Chengdu

5.

Guangzhou

4

7

6

6.

Nanjing

5

7.

Jinan

NEW “BATTLE ZONES”

RUSSIA

Headquarters

NORTH

MONGOLIA

Shenyang

Urumqi

Beijing

WEST

CENTRAL

West zone includes more

than a third of nation’s

land-based military

Nanjing

EAST

INDIA

PACIFIC

OCEAN

500km

310 miles

Guangzhou

Xi’s reforms include establishing joint operational

command structure by 2020, and cutting troop

numbers by 300,000

Source: SCMP

Picture: Getty Images

© GRAPHIC NEWS

China sets up

new military

regions

Xi Jinping has created five new military regions, replacing seven previous zones, in an effort to reform the 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and signal his firm control over the armed forces

4.

Chengdu

PREVIOUS REGIONS

1.

Lanzhou

5.

Guangzhou

2.

Beijing

6.

Nanjing

3.

Shenyang

7.

Jinan

3

2

1

4

7

6

5

500km

310 miles

NEW “BATTLE ZONES”

Headquarters

3.

CENTRAL

1.

4.

WEST

EAST

2.

5.

NORTH

SOUTH

Shenyang

2

Beijing

Urumqi

3

1

Nanjing

5

4

Guangzhou

Xi’s reforms include establishing

joint operational command

structure by 2020, and cutting

troop numbers by 300,000

Picture: Getty Images

Source: SCMP

© GRAPHIC NEWS