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The Western Theater Command (Chinese: 西部战区; pinyin: Xībù zhànqū) is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army, founded on 1 February 2016.
| Western Theater Command | |
|---|---|
| 西部战区 | |
 | |
| Founded | 1 February 2016 |
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance |  Chinese Communist Party |
| Type | Theater Command |
| Role | Command and control |
| Part of |  People's Liberation Army |
| Headquarters | Chengdu, Sichuan |
| Website | Official website (in English) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | General Wang Haijiang |
| Political Commisar | General Li Fengbiao |
| Chief of Staff | General Zhang Jian |
| Insignia | |
| Sleeve insignia |  |
Its jurisdiction includes Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Chongqing.[1] Guizhou is also sometimes listed as part of the command.[1] Its current commander since August 2021 is General Wang Haijiang.[2] Its current political commissar is General Li Fengbiao.
In May 2016, the PRC raised the rank and status of its western Tibet Military Command to widen its scope for missions and combat preparedness, in a move analysts in Beijing said was aimed in part at fortifying the border with India.[3] The Xinjiang Military Command may also be elevated in the future, the report said. Both commands are under the newly created Western Theater Command, the largest of five newly reorganised military regions of the PLA. The Chinese Communist Party-run tabloid Global Times reported the change would allow the command “to shoulder more combat assignments”.[3]
Area of Responsibility (AOR)
edit
Western Theater Command's Area of Responsibility (AOR) consists of India, South Asia, Central Asia, Western Mongolia, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Organizational structure
editThe Western Theater Command consists of the following components:
- Western Theater Command Ground Force
- Western Theater Command Air Force
- 33rd Fighter Division
- 44th Fighter Division
- 6th Fighter Division
- 36th Bomber Division
- 37th Fighter Division
- 4th Transport Division[citation needed]
Official hymn
editReleased on 4 November 2020, the Western Theater Command released "The Battle Hymn of the Western Theater Command" (Chinese: 西部战区战歌; pinyin: Xībù zhànqū zhàngē) with lyrics written by the then commander of the Western Theater Command, General Zhao Zongqi and music composed by Luan Kai.[4]
List of leaders
editCommanders
edit| English name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhao Zongqi | 赵宗岐 | February 2016 | December 2020 | |
| Zhang Xudong | 张旭东 | December 2020 | June 2021 | |
| Xu Qiling | 徐起零 | June 2021 | August 2021 | |
| Wang Haijiang | 汪海江 | August 2021 | Incumbent |
Political commissars
edit| English name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhu Fuxi | 朱福熙 | February 2016 | January 2017 | |
| Wu Shezhou | 吴社洲 | January 2017 | June 2021 | |
| Li Fengbiao | 李凤彪 | June 2021 | Incumbent |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Sumit Ganguly; Andrew Scobell; Joseph Chinyong Liow, eds. (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies. Routledge. ISBN 978-1315455631. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ "Chinese President Xi appoints new General for PLA's Western Theatre Command amidst Ladakh standoff". economictimes. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "Eye on India, China raises Tibet military command rank | Central Tibetan Administration". tibet.net. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "[军事报道]西部战区官方公众号上线 首日推出《西部战区战歌》" [[Military Report] "Western Theater War Song" was launched on the first day of the official public account of the Western Theater]. China Central Television (in Chinese). November 4, 2020.
Further reading
edit- Kenneth Allen, Dennis J. Blasko, John F. Corbett (February 4, 2016). "The PLA's New Organizational Structure: What is Known, Unknown and Speculation (Part 1)". The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Kevin McCauley, Snapshot: China’s Western Theater Command, China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 1, Jamestown Foundation, 2017.
- Rupprecht, Andreas: Flashpoint China, Chinese air power and regional security; Harpia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9854554-8-4, 2016 [1]