China releases guideline on military reform

China's Central Military Commission (CMC) on Friday released guidelines on deepening national defence and military reform.

The release of the guidelines comes about a month after CMC Chairman and China's President Xi Jinping, at a key meeting, called for an overhaul of the military administration and command system.

According to the guidelines, a new structure will be established in which the CMC takes charge of the overall administration of the People's Liberation Army, the Chinese People's Armed Police and the militia and reserve forces, the battle zone commands focus on combat, and various military services pursue development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The overall goal is to achieve progress and concrete results before 2020 in military administration and joint operational command, optimising military structure, enhancing policy systems and civilian-military integration, and building a modern military.