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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The PRC continues to refine military reforms associated with the establishment of the Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central Theater Commands, which are organized based on the PRC's perception of peripheral threats.
- Under the direction of the CMC, each Theater Command has operational authority over the PLA conventional forces within the theater.
- In August 2022, the PLA carried out large-scale joint military exercises aimed at pressuring Taiwan. The exercises included firing ballistic missiles over Taiwan's main island, over a dozen naval patrols, and hundreds of flights into Taiwan's claimed air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
The PRC continues to make steady improvements to joint operations in the five theater commands, which were established in early 2016. Each theater command receives direction from the CMC, has operational authority over assigned PLA forces within its theater, and is responsible for all conventional combat and non-combat operations within its area of responsibility. Theater commands are responsible for developing theater-specific strategies aimed at preparing to fight and win against an adversary, developing joint operational plans and military capabilities, responding to crises, and safeguarding the sovereignty and stability of its claimed territories. The strategic directions of the theater commands are based on Chinese perceptions of peripheral threats:
- Eastern Theater Command – Taiwan, ECS;
- Southern Theater Command – SCS; Southeast Asia border security; territorial and maritime disputes;
- Western Theater Command – India, Central Asia, "counterterrorism" in Xinjiang and Tibet;
- Northern Theater Command – Korean Peninsula, Russia border security;
- Central Theater Command – Capital defense; surge support to other theaters.
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China
