Xi says PLA overhaul to aid reform

Central commission, military regions to be reset; anti-graft bodies boosted

President Xi Jinping has pledged to revolutionize the People's Liberation Army by overhauling the armed forces' command structure and reorganizing military regions, according to a statement published on Thursday after a historically significant meeting.

Xi said on Tuesday morning, at the beginning of a three-day PLA reform conference in Beijing hosted by the Central Military Commission, that the commission itself, of which he is chairman, will be rearranged. He also said the current seven military regions will be reset, together with the establishment of a unified combat command for each of the new regions.