Reform of the Leadership and Command System
The reform of the leadership and command system is a significant measure in response to the call for a modern and specialized military capable of fighting and winning wars in the information age. The goal is to improve the operational effectiveness and development efficiency of the military. Adhering to the general principle of "the CMC exercising overall leadership, the theater commands (TCs) responsible for military operations, and the services focusing on developing capabilities," the PLA upholds the CMC's centralized and unified leadership and its functions of strategic command and management. The PLA has dismantled the long-established systems of general departments, military area commands (MACs) and the force composition with a dominating land force, and established new leadership, management and operational command systems.
The previous four general departments have been replaced by 15 functional organs under the CMC. Measures have been adopted to improve the leadership and management systems of the military branches.
The PLA has:
established the PLAA leading organs;
established the PLA Strategic Support Force (PLASSF);
renamed the Second Artillery Force the PLARF; and
established the PLAJLSF.
Thus, a CMC-Services-Troops leadership and management system has been put in place.
Changes have also been made to the PAP by adopting a CMC-PAP-Troops system to put the PAP under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee and the CMC.
Measures to improve joint operations command system include improving the joint operations command organ of the CMC and establishing five TCs. A CMC-TCs-Troops command system is now in place.
Also important is the improvement of law-based supervision system. The Chinese military has established the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission (CMCDIC, also the CMC Supervision Commission, CMCSC), the CMC Political and Legal Affairs Commission (CMCPLC) and the CMC Audit Office (CMCAO). Thus, power is exercised in a way that decision-making, execution and supervision check each other and function in coordination.
领导指挥体制改革
领导指挥体制改革是适应现代军队专业化分工和信息时代能打仗、打胜仗的要求，提高军队作战效能和建设效益的重大举措。按照“军委管总、战区主战、军种主建”原则，强化军委集中统一领导和战略指挥、战略管理功能，打破长期实行的总部体制、大军区体制、大陆军体制，构建新的军队领导管理和作战指挥体制。
调整组建新的军委机关部门，由过去的四总部调整为军委机关15个职能部门。完善军兵种领导管理体制，成立陆军领导机构，成立战略支援部队，第二炮兵更名为火箭军，成立联勤保障部队，构建起“中央军委—军种—部队”的领导管理体系。
调整武警部队领导指挥体制，中共中央和中央军委对武警部队实行集中统一领导，实行“中央军委—武警部队—部队”领导指挥体制。
建立健全联合作战指挥体制，健全军委联合作战指挥机构，组建战区联合作战指挥机构，成立5个战区，构建起“中央军委—战区—部队”的作战指挥体系。
建立健全法治监督体系，组建新的军委纪律检查委员会（军委监察委员会），组建新的军委政法委员会，组建军委审计署，形成决策权、执行权、监督权既相互制约又相互协调的权力运行体系。