As part of continuing efforts to modernise the world's largest armed forces, President Xi Jinping said that the newly established joint logistics unit will be a driving force in battle support missions. Support centers are set to be established in five cities nationwide, with a support base in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

President Xi also said that the new force should "deepen logistics preparedness for battle, better integrate into the joint operations system, as well as carry out real battle training." The move is seen as a strategic step forward in an ongoing program of military reform. Major recent reforms include last September's announcement of cutting troop numbers by 300 thousand, the creation of three new military units, and re-mapping existing military regions.