In Christchurch, New Zealand, China disbanded its Strategic Support Force (SSF), created on Dec. 31, 2015, after existing for over eight years.
On April 19, China established an Information Support Force to replace the SSF, with Lt. Gen. Bi Yi as its first commander, directly subordinate to the Central Military Commission.
The change is part of China’s modernization efforts, focusing on network information systems, specifically in command and control, information security, and intelligence dissemination.
The Information Support Force, Cyberspace Force, and Aerospace Force are the PLA’s three nascent arms, part of the new organization alongside the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and Joint Logistics Support Force.
The Cyberspace Force will handle offensive and defensive cyber operations, while the Aerospace Force supervises space operations and launches.
Xi Jinping has urged the PLA to modernize for high-tech combat and to follow party diktats, emphasizing loyalty, purity, and reliability in carrying out commands.
