27 May 2026

PLA Reshapes Military Theory Development System for Future Warfare

Jamestown | K. Tristan Tang

The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) _Regulations on Military Theory Work_ officially took effect on March 1, fundamentally reshaping the Chinese military theory development system. These regulations aim to accelerate the modernization of military theory, focusing on building a joint operational theory system capable of adapting to future warfare, particularly informatized and intelligentized warfare.

The framework divides military theory work into vertical control and horizontal division of labor, covering management, content, full-process management, achievements, and support. This initiative seeks to improve joint operational effectiveness, resolve long-standing problems in military development, and align theory with evolving technology, warfare, and adversaries. The PLA plans to establish channels for collecting military theory requirements, integrate data from troop experiments, and create new mechanisms for evaluating theoretical results. While no short-term military operations are expected within one to two years, observers should closely monitor changes in PLA operational concepts and doctrine, such as dissipative warfare, over the longer term.

Read Full Article →

No comments: