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
1. Lanzhou
2. Beijing
3. Shenyang
4. Chengdu
5. Guangzhou
6. Nanjing
7. Jinan

NEW “BATTLE ZONES”

Headquarters

Urumqi

XINJIANG

WEST West zone includes more than a third of nation’s land-based military

TIBET

INDIA

Xi’s reforms include establishing joint operational command structure by 2020, and cutting troop numbers by 300,000

500km 310 miles

MONGOLIA

NORTH

Shenyang

Beijing

CENTRAL

Nanjing

EAST

SOUTH

Hong Kong

Guangzhou

NORTH KOREA

SOUTH KOREA

JAPAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

Taiwan

Source: SCMP

Picture: Getty Images