by Minnie Chan & Choi Chi-yuk in South China Morning Post, Jan 13, 2017 The PLA is set to break with a long-standing tradition if a proposal to appoint a naval officer to head its strategic southern command is adopted, four independent sources said. The proposed reshuffle at the helm of the Southern Theatre Comman, which is responsible for the South China Sea and the PLA South Sea Fleet, also underscores the rising importance of the navy…