No More SSF; it's ISF (The PLA has a New Force)!!
Hello All,
真的好久不見！還好嗎？
I hope you are doing well. It has been seven months since the last newsletter. I decided not to write it anytime soon as I am entirely caught up with the GRE, advanced Chinese level exams (TOCFL C1-C2), a couple of part-time jobs and other admission requirements. However, I couldn’t resist since the PLA has a new force! The CMC has scrapped the SSF and established the ISF. Also, there are questions about JLSF, as you will notice while reading the newsletter!
This time, unlike the past, it is a very small newsletter just focusing on the ISF!
I hope you enjoy reading it!
Please note that the next regular full-length issue will not be published anytime soon, as I will only write once I am done with the PhD admission process! Of course, there are exceptions, like today!
Take care,
Suyash.
信息支援部队 (Information Support Team/Unit/Force) The Literal translation is dui (4th tone). So, I don’t know whether to call it a team, a force, or a unit.
The founding meeting of the PLA Information Support Force was held at the Bayi Building in Beijing earlier this evening at 4 PM (Beijing Time).
Notably, Chairman Xi Jinping awarded a military flag to the Information Support Force.
More importantly, 根据中央军委决定，新组建的信息支援部队由中央军委直接领导指挥，同时撤销战略支援部队番号，相应调整军事航天部队、网络空间部队领导管理关系。It roughly translates to the designation of the SSF, which will be revoked, and the aerospace force and cyberspace force, which will be adjusted!
Bi Yi will command the newly formed Information Support Force, and Li Wei will be the newly appointed Political Commissar.
Quick details about them:
(Commander?) Bi Yi
Born in 1965, he is a native of Dandong, Liaoning Province.
He is a Lieutenant General in the PLA (this rank can change) and a representative to the 13th Hunan Provincial People's Congress.
Track Record:
Earlier, he served as a director of the Military Training and Arms Department of the Shenyang Military Region Headquarters and the Chief of Staff of the 40th Group Army.
In 2017, he served as the Deputy Commander of the 78th Group Army.
In 2018, he was appointed Commander of the Hunan Provincial Military Region.
In 2021, he served as Deputy Minister of the Training Management Department of the Central Military Commission.
On August 13, 2022, he demonstrated his leadership prowess at the opening ceremony of the Korla Division of the 'International Military Games 2022. He led the army's competition as the leader of the competition-leading group, holding the rank of Lieutenant General.
In July 2023, he was transferred to deputy commander of the Strategic Support Force. (Please note, this was when everything broke loose in the PLA RF and possibly the PLA SSF).
Earlier today, he was appointed as the first commander of the newly formed Information Support Force.
(Commander?) Li Wei
Born in 1960, Commander Li Wei is a native of Jiyuan, Henan.
Track Record:
He once served as the Director of the Cadre Department of the Political Department of the Lanzhou Military Region and the commander of the Independent 6th Mechanized Infantry Division of the Southern Xinjiang Military Region.
In January 2007, he served as Director of the Political Department of the 47th Group Army of the Army.
In 2010, he served as deputy political commissar of the 47th Group Army.
In October 2012, he served as political commissar of the Southern Xinjiang Military Region.
In September 2013, he served as political commissar of the 21st Army Group of the Army.
In December 2014, he was promoted to Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region and member of the Party Committee.
In July 2015, he was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
On February 24, 2018, he was elected as a representative of the 13th National People's Congress.
In 2018, he again served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the Communist Party of China.
In December 2020, he served as Political Commissar of the Strategic Support Force.
Earlier today, he was appointed the first political commissar of the Information Support Force.
More about the newly formed force:
习近平强调，信息支援部队是全新打造的战略性兵种，是统筹网络信息体系建设运用的关键支撑，在推动我军高质量发展和打赢现代战争中地位重要、责任重大。
This roughly translates to - Xi Jinping emphasising that the information support force is a newly created strategic force and an essential support for coordinating the construction and application of network information systems. It plays an important role and has great responsibilities in promoting the high-quality development of our army and winning modern wars.
Furthermore, 习近平强调，信息支援部队是全新打造的战略性兵种，是统筹网络信息体系建设运用的关键支撑，在推动我军高质量发展和打赢现代战争中地位重要、责任重大。要坚决听党指挥，全面贯彻党对军队绝对领导的根本原则和制度，全面加强部队党的建设，坚定理想信念，严肃纪律规矩，弘扬优良作风，确保部队绝对忠诚、绝对纯洁、绝对可靠。
This roughly translates to - Xi Jinping emphasising that the information support force is a newly created strategic force and a key support for coordinating the construction and application of network information systems. It plays an important role and has great responsibilities in promoting the high-quality development of our army and winning modern wars
Also, 要有效保障作戰，堅持資訊引領、聯合製勝，暢通資訊鏈接，整合資訊資源，加強資訊保障，深度融入軍隊聯合作戰體系，準確高效實施資訊保障，服務保障軍隊在各個方向、各個領域奮鬥。 要加速創新發展，堅持作戰需求根本牽引，加強系統規劃，推動共建共享，加強科技創新，建構適應現代戰爭要求的網路資訊系統
It roughly means - it is necessary to support operations effectively, adhere to information-led and joint victory, smooth information links, integrate information resources, strengthen information protection, deeply integrate into the military's joint operations system, accurately and efficiently implement information support, and serve to support military struggles in all directions and fields. It is necessary to accelerate innovation and development, adhere to the fundamental traction of combat needs, strengthen system planning, promote joint construction and sharing, enhance scientific and technological innovation, and build a network information system that meets the requirements of modern warfare.
Notably,
The whereabouts of Ju Gansheng, the previous commander of the Strategic Support Force, are unknown. He was previously widely rumoured to be involved in military procurement fraud. However, if I remember correctly, he made a public appearance earlier this year, in January, but I cannot recollect the event!
I also checked the MOD service’s page. There is no mention of the PLA SSF yet. Interestingly, there is also no mention of the Logistic Support Force. In Chinese language media, it has been called the Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission for some time now. 中央军委后勤保障部
Finally, from the initial reports, this new force sounds very cyber/network-centric, and there are serious questions about the Space Systems Department.
Let’s wait and watch, as it’s just six hours since the announcement!
Suyash Desai is a research scholar studying China’s defence and foreign policies. He is currently studying advanced Mandarin at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), Taipei, Taiwan. He can be reached at @suyash_desai.
Website: www.suyashdesai.com
Very well translated