ISTANBUL

China said Thursday it will restructure its military schools and establish three new academies for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The schools include the PLA Army Arms University, the PLA Information Support Force Engineering University and the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force Engineering University, according to the Defense Ministry.

“All of them are institutions of higher education that recruit high school graduates,” senior Col. Jiang Bin said at a news conference in Beijing.

The restructuring comes amid reports that China was building a vast military complex in the western part of Beijing, possibly more than 10 times the size of the Pentagon.

Separately, a growing military rivalry between the US and China is influencing threat assessments in Asian capitals, prompting several nations to reassess their defense strategies and doctrines, according to a report Thursday by the International Crisis Group think tank.

In the past decade, Asia has seen its biggest surge in military spending, driving regional "militarization,” said the report.

It added that the US trade war was hindering diplomatic efforts that could help address those developments.