PLA Eastern Theater Command Leadership

The establishment of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on February 1, 2016 marked a milestone in the security situation in the Taiwan Strait. The command succeeded the Nanjing Military Region as the principle organization responsible for political-military coercion and use of force against Taiwan. The Eastern Theater Command’s geographic scope covers the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fuzhou, and Jiangxi, as well as Shanghai City. For an outstanding overview of the broader PLA reorganization, see Ken Allen, Dennis Blasko, and John Corbett's two-part article published in February 2016 by the Jamestown Foundation. 

Under authority of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Eastern Theater's Party Committee probably functions as the command’s senior-most policy-making body. The political commissar presumably serves as party secretary. The commander is deputy secretary. Party Committee members include three standing deputy commanders, at least one standing deputy political commissar (the secretary of the command's Discipline Inspection Commission has yet to be identified), Army, Navy and Air Force component commanders (dual hatted as Eastern Theater Command deputy commanders), and directors of the Logistical Support and Equipment Departments (two of four standing deputy commanders also function as directors of the Joint Staff and Political Work Departments). Below are brief biographical summaries of senior Eastern Theater Command personalities (eg., theater and deputy theater grade officers). 

Eastern Theater Command General Headquarters

东部战区

Nanjing

General (GEN) Liu Yuejun (刘粤军; b. 1954) was assigned as commander of the PLA Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He previously commanded the Lanzhou Military Region (LMR; 2012-2015), served as LMR chief of staff (2007-2012), commanded the 42nd Group Army (2002-2007), and was the first commander of the Macao Garrison (1999-2002). Liu Yuejun spent much of his early career with the 41st Group Army’s 123rd Infantry Division and allegedly commanded a company during the Vietnamese border conflict. He was promoted to lieutentant general (LTG) in 2008 and GEN in 2015, and is a full member of the 18th Central Committee. His father reportedly is Liu Yide (刘义德), who was involved in political work with the 41st Group Army.

GEN Zheng Weiping (郑卫平; b. 1955) was assigned as political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He previously served as political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region (NMR; 2012-01/2016), directed the Guangzhou Military Region Political Department (2007-2012) and served as political commissar of the 41st Group Army (2005-2007). Earlier in his career, he served in various National Defense University positions and was a mishu within the General Political Department (GPD) General Office, likely supporting former GPD director, Li Jinai (李继耐; b. 1942). Zheng Weiping was promoted to GEN in 2015, and is a member of the 18th Central Committee.

LTG Yang Hui (杨晖; b. 1963) was assigned as deputy commander of the Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He is dual hatted as chief of staff, directing the command's Joint Staff Department. He previously served as NMR chief of staff (2011-2016) and directed the GSD Intelligence Department (2PLA; 2007-2011). He also served as deputy commander of the 31st Group Army (2006-2007), maintained a brief affiliation with the China Institute of International Strategic Studies (2005-2006), and served as deputy director of the GSD Technical Reconnaissance Department (3PLA; 2001-2005). He was promoted to major general (MG) in 2007 and LTG in 2013, and is an alternate member of the 18th Central Committee.

LTG Wang Ping (王平; b. 1955) was assigned as deputy political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He is dual hatted as director of the command’s Political Department. He previously served as deputy political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region (2012-2015) and political commissar of the 1st Group Army (2006-2012). With roots within the Shenyang Military Region, Wang Ping also directed the 16th Group Army Political Department, and subsequently served as its deputy political commissar (2002-2006). He was assigned to the 39th Group Army earlier in his career. He was promoted to LTG in 2014.

Rear Admiral (RADM) Gu Xiangbing (顾祥兵; b. 1959) was assigned as deputy commander of the Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He previously served as deputy commander of the East Sea Fleet (07/2011-02/2016), commandant of the Submarine Academy (2009-2011), deputy chief of staff of the North Sea Fleet, and commander of a UI submarine unit. He was promoted to RADM in 2010.

LTG Sun Herong (孙和荣; b. 1957) was assigned as deputy commander of the Eastern Theater Command in February 2016. He previously commanded the Jinan Military Region Air Force (JMRAF; 2012-2015); served as deputy commander and chief of staff of the JMRAF (2011-2012); deputy chief of staff of the Nanjing Military Region Air Force (NMRAF); and deputy chief of staff of the Shenyang Military Region Air Force.

Eastern Theater Command Army

东部战区陆军

Fuzhou

LTG Qin Weijiang (秦卫江; b. 1955) was assigned as commander of the Eastern Theater Command Army in February 2016. He is dual hatted as deputy commander of the Eastern Theater Command. He previously served as deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region (12/2010-01/2016), commanded the 27th Group Army (2006-2010), served as deputy chief of staff of the Beijing Military Region (BMR; 2005-2006), deputy commander of the 65th Group Army, and commanded of the Shanxi Military District. He is reportedly the son of former Minister of Defense Qin Jiwei (秦基伟; 1914-1997). Qin Weijiang was promoted to MG in 2000 and LTG in 2012.

MG Liao Keduo (廖可铎; b. 1958) was assigned as political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command Army in February 2016. He previously served as political commissar of the Tianjin Garrison (2015-2016), deputy director of the BMR Political Department (2010-2012), and director of the 38th Group Army Political Department (2006-2010). Most of his earlier career was spent within the BMR Political Department. He was promoted to MG in 2008.

Eastern Theater Command Navy (East Sea Fleet)

东部战区海军 / 海军东海舰队

Ningbo

Vice Admiral (VADM) Su Zhiqian (苏支前; b. 1955) was assigned as commander of the Eastern Theater Command Navy in February 2016. He is dual hatted as deputy commander of the Eastern Theater Command. He previously commanded the East Sea Fleet (2011-01/2016), commanded the South Sea Fleet (2008-2011), and served as South Sea Fleet deputy chief of staff, chief of staff, and deputy commander (2000-2008). He was promoted to VADM in 2010. 

VADM Wang Huayong (王华勇; b. 1955) was assigned as political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command Navy in February 2016. He is dual hatted as deputy political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command. He previously served as political commissar of the East Sea Fleet, directed the South Sea Fleet Political Department, and served as political commissar of the Yulin Support Base. He was promoted to VADM in 2014.

Eastern Theater Command Air Force

东部战区空军

Nanjing

LTG Huang Guoxin (黄国显; b. 1962) was assigned as commander of the Eastern Theater Command Air Force in February 2016. He is dual hatted as deputy commander of the Eastern Command. He previously commanded the Nanjing Military Region Air Force (NMRAF; 2013-2015), served as NMRAF chief of staff (2011-2013), and commanded the Fuzhou Air Command Post (2005-2011) and Kunming Air Command Post (2004-2005). He was promoted to MG in 2009 and LTG in 2014.

MG Liu Dewei (刘德伟; b. 1959) was assigned as political commissar of the Eastern Theater Command Air Force in February 2016. He previously served as NMRAF political commissar (07/2015-01/2016) and as deputy director of the PLAAF Political Department (2013-2015). He was promoted to MG in 2010.

Sanya Initiative: PLA Sends Team to Hawaii for Second Meeting with Retired US Flag/General Officers

As a follow-on to the previous post on Bill Owens' Financial Times editorial, the Hawaii-based Star Bulletin has reported that the second corporate-sponsored meeting of retired U.S. and Chinese flag/general officers took place on 17-18 October 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Known as the Sanya Initiative, the Financial Times reported last year that the dialogue is funded by Bill Owens' parent company, AEA Investors (Vincent Mai), as well as C.V. Starr (Maurice "Hank" Greenberg), and the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation. Another report, apparently a formal report to funders, also credited the Carnegie Corporation and National Committee on U.S.-China Relations for helping to fund the event.

The eight day visit of the Chinese delegation also included stops in New York City and Washington DC for meetings with the Secretary of State and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. The delegation's visit preceded the visit of Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission GEN Xu Caihou.

Access and Influence: Financial Executive Opens Doors in Washington for the PLA

The Chinese delegation was led by Xiong Guangkai, former head of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) intelligence community. Xiong currently serves as director of an elite PLA intelligence analytical unit. The Chinese delegation also included five retired senior military officers. Leading and organizing the U.S. side was AEA Investors' Bill Owens, who served as Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff under the Clinton administration.

After meetings in Hawaii, Owens leveraged connections in the Obama administration, and escorted Xiong and the rest of the Chinese delegation for meetings in Washington D.C. with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullins (click here for Financial Times reporting). Both ADM Mullins and former Commander, Pacific Command Tim Keating endorsed the initiative in writing (see pages 19 and 20 of the formal report).

Reflecting the views of his Chinese colleagues, Bill Owens is a critic of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Owens was quoted as saying "we look to be a model for active-duty military where the relationship is officially not very good.” Indeed, Owens and his Chinese colleagues do appear to be trying to influence DoD's views regarding the TRA and arms sales. Before departing New York City, Xiong led the entourage in singing "The More We Get Together." {NOTE: No joke here. Read the Financial Times article hyperlinked above. Inquiring minds want to know if Xiong Guangkai, perhaps reflecting on his successes, peered into Owens' eyes while singing "and your friends are my friends"}.

The Star-Bulletin reported that the China Association for International Friendly Contact "coordinated" the trip for the Chinese side. Administratively subordinate to the PRC Ministry of Civil Affairs, the China Association for International Friendly Contact [youlianhui; 友联会] is also known as the International Liaison Department of the PLA General Political Department (GPD). According to Ann Marie Brady in Making the Foreign Serve China: Managing Foreigners in the People's Republic, the Association targets "friendly personages" or "foreign leftists," and reports up the chain to the PLA GPD and presumably beyond.

Members of the U.S. team for the talks in Hawaii were:

Bill Owens. AEA Investors (Asia). ADM (ret) William Owens also is former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. See previous post for more details on Owens and his company.

Ron Fogleman. CEO, Alliant Techsystems (ATK); Vice President, Projects International. Gen Ronald Fogleman also is former chief of staff of the Air Force.

Charles E. Wilhelm. Board of directors, OmniPerception; adviser, Battelle Science & Technology, International; former member of advisory board, Lucent Technologies; member of board of advisers, M.I.C.. Industries.Retired four star general and former commander of U.S. Southern Command; and mentor to Joint Forces Command. Gen (ret, USMC) Charles Wilhelm also is former Commander, Southern Command.

Denny Reimer. Director, DFI Government Services (now Detica), a subsidiary of defense contractor BAE Systems. Detica specialises in "collecting, managing and exploiting information to reveal actionable intelligence." He also serves as advisor, VirtualAgility. Gen (ret) Dennis Reimer also is former Army chief of staff.

Chinese delegation members were:

Xiong Guangkai. Xiong serves as Chairman, China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS). CIISS is subordinate to the PLA General Staff Department (GSD) Second Department (intelligence). As Bates Gill and James Mulvenon noted in a 2002 China Quarterly article, CIISS is "an important interface between the military intelligence apparatus and foreign experts, with regular interactions both at home and abroad."

CIISS houses both active duty and retired military officers, including what Michael Swaine notes in the Gill/Mulvenon article as "some of the best military analysts from the intelligence department." Xiong served as head of the PLA's intelligence community before moving to direct CIISS. As a member of the Taiwan Affairs Leading Group, Xiong also has been a key player in leading the charge for Taiwan's annexation. LTG (ret) Xiong Guangkai also is former deputy chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army.

Yu Zhenwu. GEN (ret) Yu Zhenwu is former commander of the PLA Air Force. Beijing cut his visit to the United States while he was PLAAF Commander in May 1995 to protest the visit of Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to the United States. Fogleman was his counterpart at the time.

Li Qianyuan. GEN (ret) Li Qianyuan is former commander of the Lanzhou Military Area Command. He also served as commander, 1st Group Army in the Nanjing Military Region, which is a key Taiwan-related position.

Pei Huailiang. GEN (ret) Pei Huailiang is former president of the PLA National Defense University. Pei also has been viewed as a Taiwan specialist in light of extensive experience in planning and operational positions in the Nanjing Military Region, as well as Jinan Military Region.

Zhao Guojun. VADM (ret) Zhao Guojun is former commander of the East Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy.

Retired PLA generals who participated in the initial meeting in Sanya, Hainan Island, but not the more recent one include GEN (ret) Zhu Wenquan, former Commander, Nanjing Military Region; and GEN (ret) Yang Deqing, former Political Commissar, Guangzhou Military Region.