China’s President Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert greater control over the armed forces. Mr Xi is now commander in chief of the military’s Joint Operations Command Centre.  China’s foreign policy has become increasingly assertive in recent years, especially on its claims to disputed territories in the South China Sea. Mr Xi is already General Secretary of the Communist Party, and chair of the Central Military Commission, which manages the People’s Liberation Army.

Since taking office, Xi has sought to increase his authority over the People’s Liberation Army, which is technically the armed force of the Communist party rather than the Chinese state.

New “battle zones” were established to focus on combat and joint operation command systems, replacing the former “military regions” which had separate command structures and significant administrative responsibilities.

Beijing has been building up its military for years, with regular double-digit increases in its official budget. Xi has announced plans to slash China’s troop numbers by 300,000 to roughly 2 million to create a more efficient fighting force. In addition to his party, military and state titles, Mr. Xi is also  head of a new National Security Commission and in charge of other party committees in areas ranging from economic overhauls to Internet security.