The art troupe formerly under the general political department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will continue to exist under a new name despite previous speculation that art troupes would be removed as part of Chinese military reforms cutting 300,000 troops.
The Song and Dance Ensemble of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), formerly known as the Song and Dance Ensemble of the PLA General Political Department, appeared in a choral symphony concert under its new name on March 10, the PLA Daily reported Sunday.
Meanwhile, Li Yuning, the former head of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the PLA General Political Department, has assumed the position of chief of the new Song and Dance Ensemble, according to the report.
The question of whether to keep armed forces art troupes has been a controversial topic in China since President Xi Jinping announced that 300,000 soldiers would be demobilized as part of far-reaching military reforms.
"Some personnel from the PLA art troupes sought commercial development with their fame or delivered inappropriate speeches that brought a bad influence to the art troupes," said Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert.
The restructuring of PLA art troupes aligns with the principle of demobilizing noncombat personnel and organs, and is therefore an important part of the restructuring of the PLA, Song said.
Major General Xu Guangyu, a senior consultant with the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said the tradition of art troupes should be maintained, as it serves to build and sustain troops' morale.
"It is also necessary to incorporate international practices, which means reducing the scale of art troupes," Xu added.
A recent report by china.com.cn quoted an anonymous military official as saying that reduction of art troupe personnel had reached an impasse and might not be as easy to handle as imagined.
China recently implemented a series of reform measures to enhance the Communist Party of China's leadership over the military and boost the PLA's combat capabilities by establishing a more modern military system.
In February, China recategorized its seven military area commands into five theater commands, a move that observers said is meant to beef up the military's combat capabilities and enhance its ability to face new challenges by improving response efficiency through a joint command system.
The five theater commands, literally "battle zone commands," are named for their strategic locations in north, south, east, west and central China.
They replaced the seven military area commands in Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Ji'nan, Shenyang, Lanzhou and Guangzhou.
In January, China restructured its four military departments into 15 organs under the CMC, a change that analysts say will centralize power under the CMC to improve the military's efficiency and curb corruption.
