Western Theater Command

Military command region of China

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Western Theater Command

西部战区
Founded| 1 February 2016; 8 years ago (2016-02-01)
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|

Military unit

People's Liberation Army

Executive departments

* Central Military Commission
* Ministry of National Defense

Staff

* Chairman of the CMC
* Joint Staff Department of the CMC
* Political Work Department of the CMC
* Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CMC

Services

* Ground Force
* Navy
* Air Force
* Rocket Force

Arms

* Aerospace Force
* Cyberspace Force
* Information Support Force
* Joint Logistics Support Force

Domestic troops

* People's Armed Police
* China Coast Guard
* Militia
* Maritime Militia

Special operations force

* PLA Special Operations Forces
* Special Police Unit of the PAP
* Snow Leopard Commando Unit
* Mountain Eagle Commando Unit

Military districts

* Eastern Theater Command
* Southern Theater Command
* Western Theater Command
* Northern Theater Command
* Central Theater Command

History of the Chinese military

* Military history of China

Military ranks of China

* Ranks of the PLA Ground Force
* Ranks of the PLA Navy
* Ranks of the PLA Air Force

* v
* t
* e

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.

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]

Map of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with disputed areas claimed by China shown in blue.

Map of Tibet Autonomous Region with disputed areas claimed by China shown in blue.

Western Theater Command's Area of Responsibility (AOR) consists of India, South Asia, Central Asia, Western Mongolia, Pakistan and Afghanistan

## Organizational structure

[edit]

The 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

[edit]

Released 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

[edit]

### Commanders

[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

[edit]

* Western Theater Command Ground Force
* Western Theater Command Air Force
* Territorial disputes of the People's Republic of China
* List of People's Liberation Army Air Force airbases

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ "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.
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ "[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]

* v
* t
* e

People's Liberation Army

General|

* History
* Modernization
* Budget
* Equipment
* Decorations
* Generals
* Weapons of mass destruction
* Information operations and information warfare

Branches|

| Ground|

* Structure
* Equipment

* * *

* Infantry [zh]
* Armored forces [zh]
* Artillery [zh]
* Air defense [zh]
* Aviation
* aircraft
* Engineers [zh]
* Chemical defense [zh]
* Special operations units

|

Navy|

* Organization
* Weaponry
* History

* * *

* Branches: Surface
* ships
* aircraft carriers
* Submarine
* Coastal Defense
* Naval Air
* aircraft
* Marine Corps
* special operations units

* * *

* Fleets: North Sea
* East Sea
* South Sea

Air|

* Aviation
* aircraft
* airbases
* Air Defense
* Airborne Corps
* special operations units

Rocket|

* Missile operation units
* Rocket Force corps of engineers [zh]
* Special operations units

Arms|

| Aerospace|

* Astronaut Corps
* astronauts
* Deep Space Network

|

Cyberspace|

* Cyberspace Force

Information Support|

* Information Support Force

Joint Logistics Support|

* Wuhan Joint Logistics Support Base
* Theater's Joint Logistics Support Centers: Wuxi; Guilin; Xining; Shenyang; Zhengzhou

Structure|

| Central Military
Commission|

* Chairman
* Vice-Chairmen
* General Office
* Joint Staff
* Intelligence Bureau
* Guard Bureau
* Guard Unit
* Political Work
* Logistic Support
* Equipment Development
* Manned Space Agency
* Training and Administration
* National Defense Mobilization
* Discipline Inspection
* Strategic Planning
* Reform and Organizational Structure
* International Military Cooperation
* Audit Office
* Offices Administration

|

Theater
Commands|

* Eastern
* Southern
* Hong Kong
* Macau
* Western
* Tibet
* Northern
* Central

Military regions
(defunct)|

* Shenyang
* Beijing
* Lanzhou
* Jinan
* Nanjing
* Guangzhou
* Chengdu

Ranks|

* Ground Force
* Navy
* Air Force

Uniform|

* Xingkong (camouflage)
* Type 07
* Type 99 (camouflage)
* Type 97 Service Dress

Institutions|

* Academy of Military Science
* National Defence University
* National University of Defense Technology
* Army Command College
* PLA Air Force Aviation University

* Academic institutions of the armed forces of China

Publications|

* PLA Daily
* August First Film Studio
* CCTV-7
* The Science of Military Strategy
* Defense White Paper

Paramilitary|

* People's Armed Police
* China Coast Guard
* Special police units
* Snow Leopard Commando Unit
* Mountain Eagle Commando Unit
* Militia
* Maritime Militia
* Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

Contractors|

* China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation
* China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation
* Norinco
* China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation
* China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
* Poly Technologies
* Seven Sons of National Defence

* Armed conflicts
* Korean War
* Authorized defense products dealer

* v
* t
* e

Structure of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force

PLAGF Headquarters
directly subordinate units|

| Xinjiang Military District|

* 4th Combined Arms Division
* 6th Combined Arms Division
* 8th Combined Arms Division
* 11th Combined Arms Division
* 84th Artillery Brigade
* 84th Air Defense Brigade
* 84th Special Operations Brigade
* 84th Army Aviation Brigade

|

Tibet Military District|

* 52nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 53rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 54th Combined Arms Brigade
* 85th Artillery Brigade
* 85th Special Operations Brigade
* 85th Army Aviation Brigade
* 85th Artillery Brigade
* 85th Air-Defense Brigade
* 85th Engineering and Chemical Brigade
* 7th Electronic Countermeasures Brigade
* 5th Motorized Transport Brigade

Beijing Garrison|

* 1st Guards Division
* 3rd Guards Division

Eastern Theater Command
Ground Force|

| 71st Group Army|

* 2nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 35th Combined Arms Brigade
* 160th Combined Arms Brigade
* 178th Combined Arms Brigade
* 179th Combined Arms Brigade
* 235th Combined Arms Brigade
* 71st Artillery Brigade
* 71st Air Defense Brigade
* 71st Army Aviation Brigade
* 71st Special Operations Brigade
* 71st Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 71st Service Support Brigade

|

72nd Group Army|

* 5th Combined Arms Brigade
* 10th Combined Arms Brigade
* 34th Combined Arms Brigade
* 85th Combined Arms Brigade
* 90th Combined Arms Brigade
* 124th Combined Arms Brigade
* 72nd Artillery Brigade
* 72nd Air Defense Brigade
* 72nd Army Aviation Brigade
* 72nd Special Operations Brigade
* 72nd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 72nd Service Support Brigade

73rd Group Army|

* 3rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 14th Combined Arms Brigade
* 86th Combined Arms Brigade
* 91st Combined Arms Brigade
* 92nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 145th Combined Arms Brigade
* 73rd Artillery Brigade
* 73rd Air Defense Brigade
* 73rd Army Aviation Brigade
* 73rd Special Operations Brigade
* 73rd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 73rd Service Support Brigade

Southern Theater Command
Ground Force|

| 74th Group Army|

* 1st Combined Arms Brigade
* 16th Combined Arms Brigade
* 125th Combined Arms Brigade
* 132nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 154th Combined Arms Brigade
* 163rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 74th Artillery Brigade
* 74th Air Defense Brigade
* 74th Army Aviation Brigade
* 74th Special Operations Brigade
* 74th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 74th Service Support Brigade

|

75th Group Army|

* 31st Combined Arms Brigade
* 32nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 37th Combined Arms Brigade
* 42nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 122nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 123rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 121st Air Assault Brigade
* 75th Artillery Brigade
* 75th Air Defense Brigade
* 75th Special Operations Brigade
* 75th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 75th Service Support Brigade

* Hong Kong Combined Arms Brigade
* Macau Infantry Battalion

Western Theater Command
Ground Force|

| 76th Group Army|

* 12th Combined Arms Brigade
* 17th Combined Arms Brigade
* 56th Combined Arms Brigade
* 62nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 149th Combined Arms Brigade
* 182nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 76th Artillery Brigade
* 76th Air Defense Brigade
* 76th Army Aviation Brigade
* 76th Special Operations Brigade
* 76th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 76th Service Support Brigade

|

77th Group Army|

* 39th Combined Arms Brigade
* 40th Combined Arms Brigade
* 55th Combined Arms Brigade
* 139th Combined Arms Brigade
* 150th Combined Arms Brigade
* 181st Combined Arms Brigade
* 77th Artillery Brigade
* 77th Air Defense Brigade
* 77th Army Aviation Brigade
* 77th Special Operations Brigade
* 77th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 77th Service Support Brigade

Northern Theater Command
Ground Force|

| 78th Group Army|

* 8th Combined Arms Brigade
* 48th Combined Arms Brigade
* 68th Combined Arms Brigade
* 115th Combined Arms Brigade
* 202nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 204rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 78th Artillery Brigade
* 78th Air Defense Brigade
* 78th Army Aviation Brigade
* 78th Special Operations Brigade
* 78th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 78th Service Support Brigade

|

79th Group Army|

* 46th Combined Arms Brigade
* 116th Combined Arms Brigade
* 119th Combined Arms Brigade
* 190th Combined Arms Brigade
* 191st Combined Arms Brigade
* 200th Combined Arms Brigade
* 79th Artillery Brigade
* 79th Air Defense Brigade
* 79th Army Aviation Brigade
* 79th Special Operations Brigade
* 79th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 79th Service Support Brigade

80th Group Army|

* 47th Combined Arms Brigade
* 69th Combined Arms Brigade
* 118th Combined Arms Brigade
* 138th Combined Arms Brigade
* 199th Combined Arms Brigade
* 203rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 80th Artillery Brigade
* 80th Air Defense Brigade
* 80th Army Aviation Brigade
* 80th Special Operations Brigade
* 80th Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 80th Service Support Brigade

Central Theater Command
Ground Force|

| 81st Group Army|

* 7th Combined Arms Brigade
* 70th Combined Arms Brigade
* 162nd Combined Arms Brigade
* 189th Combined Arms Brigade
* 194th Combined Arms Brigade
* 195th Combined Arms Brigade
* 81st Artillery Brigade
* 81st Air Defense Brigade
* 81st Army Aviation Brigade
* 81st Special Operations Brigade
* 81st Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 81st Service Support Brigade

|

82nd Group Army|

* 6th Combined Arms Brigade
* 80th Combined Arms Brigade
* 112th Combined Arms Brigade
* 127th Combined Arms Brigade
* 151st Combined Arms Brigade
* 188th Combined Arms Brigade
* 196th Combined Arms Brigade
* 82nd Artillery Brigade
* 82nd Air Defense Brigade
* 82nd Army Aviation Brigade
* 82nd Special Operations Brigade
* 82nd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 82nd Service Support Brigade

83rd Group Army|

* 11th Combined Arms Brigade
* 58th Combined Arms Brigade
* 60th Combined Arms Brigade
* 113th Combined Arms Brigade
* 131st Combined Arms Brigade
* 193rd Combined Arms Brigade
* 83rd Artillery Brigade
* 83rd Air Defense Brigade
* 161st Air Assault Brigade
* 83rd Special Operations Brigade
* 83rd Engineer-NBC Defense Brigade
* 83rd Service Support Brigade

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