Beijing has rolled out a series of amendments to its regulations on the People’s Liberation Army, putting a stronger focus on the importance of war readiness and overseas missions.
Set to take effect in April, the amendments emphasised that “winning battles should be the military’s top responsibility” and directed the PLA to establish a “fundamental focus on preparation and readiness for combat,” according to state news agency Xinhua.
In a report last Friday, Xinhua said the revised regulations would “further enhance the rule of law within the military, cultivate a solid force that is loyal to the party, capable of fighting effectively and maintains a strong sense of discipline and integrity”.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
The change is part of Beijing’s efforts to refine and enhance its legal framework and regulations amid intensifying geopolitical tensions with the United States and in the South China Sea.
It also echoed the goals of President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the Central Military Commission. He has said the PLA must modernise by 2035 and become a top-ranked military by 2050.
More details of the three revised regulations were released this week after they were signed by Xi. They covered wide-ranging areas including the PLA’s internal affairs, discipline and military formations.
A tally by the Post of words and word frequency compared the revisions with trial versions of the regulations that were released in 2018 and found that the latest wording placed more emphasis on combat preparedness and overseas task forces.
The new regulations on internal affairs urged soldiers to “foster a strong fighting spirit, combat style and fighting will”.
They should also “be prepared for war at any time” and “focus on studying military affairs, researching warfare and enhancing combat capabilities to improve the ability to win battles”.
The corresponding paragraphs from 2018 struck a more constrained tone, asking the PLA to “master the skills of combat”.
The new rules require military units to incorporate wartime management as a crucial component of training exercises and drills.
“They should plan, organise, and implement these efforts in a coordinated manner, as well as conduct comprehensive assessments and evaluations. This approach aims to strengthen the awareness of management for combat readiness within the troops and enhance the overall level of wartime management.”
A whole new chapter has been added requiring military units to implement a bugle call system, enhance the management of bugle usage and “create a strong atmosphere for combat readiness and preparation”.
The updated regulations also introduced stringent protocols for safeguarding military secrets, especially placing detailed controls on electronic devices usage – seen as crucial in an era marked by rapid technological advancement and information warfare.
A new section has also been added specifically for the management of overseas missions, reflecting China’s ambition to project a disciplined and capable military image abroad.
A stand-out feature in the revisions was the emphasis placed on wartime conduct – the term “wartime” appears 49 times, in contrast to the mere five mentions it received in the 2018 version.
The guidelines also distinguished between different categories of military honours, awards and the handling of disciplinary measures according to wartime parameters, ranging from “wartime” and “peacetime” to “major non-war military operations”.
The last concept was a new addition. Such operations could include humanitarian help, disaster relief, peacekeeping missions and other activities aimed at maintaining stability, security or providing support in a non-combat context.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Communist Party newspapers echo Xi Jinping’s call for promotion of private sector
- Chinese missile defence systems on show at IDEX weapons expo as war heats global market
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
