China's People's Liberation Army has long known it needs to adapt if it hopes to compete with the world's most advanced militaries. Over the past several decades, China has risen to become a prominent player on the world stage with global operations and interests far from its shores . As the People's Liberation Army reorients itself toward China's evolving priorities, weapons acquisitions have garnered the most international attention. But Beijing knows that its success will depend on seemingly banal organizational reforms. Originally, China's military was organized at a time when Beijing's interests were mostly limited to internal security, meaning that the navy and air force were sidelined. Today, growing maritime competition in the Pacific with both the United States and its ally Japan means that it is urgent for China to increase its military's ability to conduct seamless joint operations.