This week on Friday (19th), Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping attended the establishment ceremony of the Information Support Force (referred to as the Info Support Force), with the Strategic Support Force (referred to as the Strate Force) established just 8 years ago being disbanded. The frequent organizational restructuring within the PLA raises questions about the underlying motives.
According to official Chinese Communist reports, during the establishment ceremony of the Information Support Force, the designation of the Strategic Support Force was revoked, and the newly established Information Support Force will directly report to the Military Commission. The military space and cyber forces previously under the Strategic Support Force are now separated to form new independent branches.
Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian stated that the so-called “new military branch structure layout” consists of central military leadership by the Central Military Commission, with branches including the army, navy, air force, rocket force, military space force, cyber space force, information support force, and joint logistics support force.
The Strategic Support Force was a product of military reform 8 years ago. Initially the fifth major branch, it included the network systems department, composed of the former General Staff Department Third Bureau’s network reconnaissance and confrontation base known as the “cyber army”, and the aerospace systems department composed of satellite launch and control bases from the former General Equipment Department known as the “space army”.
Regarding the disbandment of the Chinese Communist Strategic Support Force and the establishment of the Information Support Force, former PLA Navy Colonel staff Yao Cheng stated on X platform on the 19th that after the military reform in 2015, Xi Jinping integrated cyber warfare, information warfare, electronic warfare, intelligence systems, and space warfare into the Strategic Support Force, leading to confusion in management and command. Hence, in September 2022, authorities decided to disband the Strategic Support Force, establish the Information Support Force, and separate some departments to form 4 branches.
“The newly established Information Support Force is actually the intelligence system disguised. The previous Strategic Support Force had combined the General Staff Second Bureau and Third Bureau, which was simply causing chaos, hence they are now separated again,” he said.
Earlier this year, the former commander of the Strategic Support Force, General Ju Qiansheng, had been in hiding for almost half a year. *Ming Pao* at that time stated that this was related to the uncertain future of the Strategic Support Force. It was said that since the Strate Force was a “hodgepodge formation,” with each component’s missions not related, the headquarters became a fictitious structure and the subordinate units continued to operate independently. The establishment of the force was intended to integrate these so-called “new combat capabilities” into a modern specialized combat force, but after 8 years, the effects were not significant.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told *Epoch Times* on April 20 that the Aerospace and Network Forces, previously under the Strategic Support Force, are now parallel in organization with the newly formed Information Support Force, indicating that the Chinese Communist Party is leaning towards a more practical direction, as from the Military Commission to some military branches, a level has been reduced. “Formerly, the space force and the others had to report to the Strategic Support Commander-in-Chief first and then to the Military Commission. Now Xi strengthens his control, and if necessary, can directly communicate with these military branches.”
Independent commentator Xiangyang analyzed X platform, saying the Information Support Force, directly under the Central Military Commission, “in simple terms, Xi Jinping wants to have control over external public opinion warfare, psychological warfare. Past Strategic Support Force combined the General Staff Second Bureau and Third Bureau into it, which was basically making trouble, so it has now been separated.
Xiangyang believes the Chinese Communist Party is making preparations similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aiming to sow divisions within target countries.
Current affairs commentator Zhong Yuan wrote on *Epoch Times* on April 20, stating that the Chinese Communist political situation is chaotic, with the military becoming one of the sources of disorder. Xi wants to crack down and yet fears the military’s instability, so he had to resort to splitting the Strategic Support Force as a cover, which is only an inevitable move.
The article mentioned that modern military forces around the world are transitioning to informatization. The US military has established a Space Force and also has a Cyber Command, but there is no so-called Information Support Force; information technology has already been integrated into various military branches and cannot be borne solely by a separate information force. The newly established Information Support Force in China is noticeably ranked below the various major military branches, suggesting it may lack the ability to coordinate and command various military branches and theaters.
“Xi Jinping and the Chinese Military Commission cannot possibly grant too much power to the Information Support Force. If forced to coordinate, it will inevitably lead to new divisions or unequal sharing of the spoils. Therefore, the establishment of the Information Support Force by the Chinese Communist Party reflects a distorted military structure and a significant gap with modern military forces,” he wrote.
The newly appointed commander of the Information Support Force is Bi Yi, and the political commissar is Li Wei.
General Li Wei, born in 1960, was appointed political commissar of the Strategic Support Force in December 2020 and became the first political commissar of the Information Support Force in April 2024. Born in 1965, Bi Yi, a former Major General of the Army, was appointed Deputy Commander of the Strategic Support Force in July 2023. In April 2024, he became the first commander of the newly formed Information Support Force.
Former commander of the Strategic Support Force, Ju Qiansheng, did not transfer to become the commander of the newly formed Information Support Force, and his whereabouts are unknown.
The new political commissar of the Information Support Force, Li Wei, spoke on behalf of the force yesterday, stating, “We firmly obey the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and Chairman Xi’s commands.”
Current affairs commentator Zhong Yuan’s article states that the new commander of the Information Support Force did not speak, instead letting the political commissar speak, once again showing Xi Jinping’s lack of trust in military officers; political officers lack military capability but can closely monitor officers at all levels on behalf of Xi Jinping, which makes them more popular.
Hu Ping, a political scholar based in the US, stated on X platform that Xi Jinping initially wanted to disband the Strategic Support Force like the Rocket Force, but it seemed like a big cleanup, so he chose to establish a separate Information Support Force instead, actually reshuffling some of the heads of the Strategic Support Force.
Chinese scholar Li Hengqing questioned whether the newly established Information Support Force will suffer the fate of the Rocket Force, being deemed suspect and leading to the collapse of the entire military.
Editor: Zheng Haoyu#