The Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (JSDCMC) (Chinese: 中央军委联合参谋部) is the command organ and the headquarters for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), superseding the former PLA General Staff Department (GSD).[1] It was established on 11 January 2016, under the military reforms of Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman Xi Jinping.[2]
Headquartered in Beijing, the Joint Staff Department (JSD) is under the absolute leadership of the CMC and likely serves as an institutional link between members of the CMC and post-2016 PLA theater commands. According to the JSD, its main duties include carrying out combat support planning and combat command support, studying and formulating military strategy and requirements, organizing combat capability assessment, arranging and instructing joint training; and combat readiness and routine war preparedness work.[3]
Prior to the 2016 transition, the General Staff Department comprised the following bureaus:
Within the present Joint Staff Department are the following bureaus:
The Intelligence Bureau of the Joint Staff Department, formerly the 2nd Bureau or '2PLA' under the GSD, is the most well-known bureau subordinate to the JSD for its role in espionage.[citation needed]
Since 2022, the Chief of Joint Staff Department is General Liu Zhenli. The current deputy chiefs are Lieutenant General Ma Yiming, and Major General Shao Yuanming. Prior to the 2016 rename, department heads were referred to as Chief of the General Staff Department.[citation needed]