China launches new military academies as part of army modernisation

China increased its defence budget by 7.2% to about $245 billion to support its military restructuring

China is restructuring its military education system to strengthen its ongoing defence modernisation efforts. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has set up three new academies to serve its latest service branches — the Information Support Force (ISF) and the Joint Logistics Support Force (JLSF), the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

 

The new institutions — the PLA Ground Force Service Academy, the PLA Information Support Force Engineering University, and the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force Engineering University — will be located in Hefei (Anhui province), Wuhan (Hubei province), and Chongqing, respectively. These academies will begin enrolling high school graduates.   

 

The restructuring seems to be aimed at aligning military education with the evolving structure of China’s armed forces and enhancing its capacity to train specialised talent. The institutions will focus on serving the needs of the PLA’s new arms, particularly the Information Support Force (ISF) and the Joint Logistics Support Force (JLSF), providing them with dedicated training pipelines. 

The ISF, responsible for managing communications and military networks, and the JLSF, tasked with nationwide logistics integration, were both formed after the PLA disbanded its Strategic Support Force in April 2024.

 

The new academies combine existing PLA colleges, such as the Armoured Force Academy, Artillery and Air Defence Academy, and others, into streamlined institutions tailored to each force’s specific needs.

 

China ups defence budget

In April 2024, China began its most substantial military reorganisation in five years to develop a “world-class” military by 2049, with a near-term focus on modernising capabilities by 2027. China introduced three new forces including the ISF, the Aerospace Force, and the Cyberspace Force. 

For 2025, China increased its defence budget by 7.2 per cent to about $245 billion. China is also building a military command centre near Beijing, which some media reports suggest could be the largest of its kind globally.