BEIJING - The People's Daily carried a commentary on Monday calling on authorities to win the "battle" of military reform.

Authorities at all levels should regard study and implementation of President Xi Jinping's instructions on defense and military reforms as a major political task, according to the article.

Senior leading departments and officials should play a guiding role in the process. They must back the central authorities' decisions and oppose political liberalism. They must not act on their own, gossip or make irresponsible remarks.

They are asked to properly deal with possible conflicts between the army and local governments, and must never allow reforms to damage the people's interests.

Moreover, they should encourage sound public opinion, especially favorable online opinion, for advancing reforms.

Military authorities should also promote those who firmly support the reforms and are dedicated to them, it said.

The newspaper, the Communist Party of China's mouthpiece, also reiterated the party's absolute leadership over the military and asked all to remain consistent with the central authorities' decisions.

China announced a plan last month to reform the country's armed forces by 2020, vowing to reorganize the current military administration structure and military command system and cut its troops by 300,000.