New combat support branch to play vital role

The newly-established Strategic Support Force of the People's Liberation Army will take charge of the military's space, cyberspace and electronic warfare operations, according to a senior PLA expert.

In an article published by the PLA Daily on WeChat, Yin Zhuo, director of the PLA Navy's Expert Consultation Committee, said the Strategic Support Force's mission is to ensure that the PLA's military superiority is maintained in space and on the Internet.

"To be specific, the service's responsibilities include targeted reconnaissance and tracking, global positioning operations and space assets management, as well as defense against electronic warfare and hostile activities in cyberspace," he said. "These are all major factors that will decide whether we can win a future war."