China Promotes New Commanders for Key Taiwan and Beijing Defense Zones

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Dec 23, 2025 - 10:56 Updated: Dec 23, 2025 - 02:52
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China Promotes New Commanders for Key Taiwan and Beijing Defense Zones

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Dec. 22 promoted two senior officers to the rank of full general, appointing new commanders for two of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) most strategically critical regions—the Eastern and Central Theater commands—against the backdrop of an ongoing military shakeup and corruption investigations.

According to Chinese state media, the promotion ceremony was overseen by Xi, who also chairs the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Yang Zhibin was promoted to full general and formally confirmed as commander of the Eastern Theater Command, while Han Shengyan was promoted and appointed commander of the Central Theater Command.

The two commands play an outsized role in China’s military planning. The Eastern Theater Command is responsible for operations related to Taiwan and the East China Sea, while the Central Theater Command is tasked with defending Beijing and surrounding political centers.

Eastern Theater Command Reshuffles After Leadership Purge

Yang’s promotion follows months of upheaval at the Eastern Theater Command, which has emerged as a focal point of recent purges within the PLA.
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Earlier this year, former Eastern Theater commander Lin Xiangyang and political commissar Liu Qingsong were both removed from their posts. In September, Yang—then a lieutenant general—was transferred to the command and installed as acting commander. His promotion to full general now formally confirms him in the role.

Public records in China show that Yang, born in 1963 in Henan Province, is a career air force officer with postings across multiple regional commands. His background includes senior roles in the former Nanjing Military Region Air Force, as well as leadership positions in the Southern and Western Theater commands.

Yang previously served under Xu Qiliang, the former CMC vice chairman who died in June following what authorities described as a sudden illness. Another senior air force figure linked to the same Fujian-based units, former Air Force Commander Ding Laihang, was removed from office in 2023.
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Since the 2016 military reorganization, the Eastern Theater Command has cycled through three commanders. Several of its former leaders—including high-ranking generals who later moved into central military leadership—have since been implicated in disciplinary actions.

Central Theater Command Appointment Raises Questions

Han Shengyan’s promotion and appointment to lead the Central Theater Command has also drawn attention, particularly because he replaced Air Force General Wang Qiang, who was reportedly to be under investigation.

Wang’s absence from several high-profile military events earlier this year fueled speculation about his status. Although he appeared at a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plenum meeting in October, Han ultimately served as the overall commander for China’s high-profile Sept. 3 military parade, an unusual departure from precedent that analysts interpreted as a sign of internal disruption.

Han, born in 1963 in Hebei Province, has spent most of his career in air force aviation units and previously held senior posts in the former Nanjing, Chengdu, and Lanzhou military regions. Since 2018, he has served as commander of the Central Theater Command Air Force.

Air Force Promotions Amid Corruption Probe

The elevation of Yang and Han is notable because both officers come from air force backgrounds, even as the PLA is publicly investigating alleged corruption within air force procurement and equipment programs.

Earlier this month, Chinese military authorities issued a rare public notice soliciting tips related to corruption in air force weapons acquisitions. Wang Youqun, a former aide and speechwriter for Politburo Standing Committee member Wei Jianxing from 1997 to 2002, wrote in the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that several senior air force officers are reportedly under investigation, and the names of the officers were quickly censored on Chinese search engines

On Dec. 11, Chinese political scholar Liu Junning wrote on X that the current air force commander had died after suffering a heart attack during a disciplinary detention period, though the claim has not been independently verified.

Nearly Half of Xi-Era Generals Have Fallen

The promotions come after a sweeping disciplinary announcement in October, when China’s Defense Ministry confirmed that nine full generals—including former CMC vice chairman He Weidong and former political work chief Miao Hua—had been expelled from the CCP and military for alleged serious violations of party discipline.

Both men were widely regarded as Xi loyalists and had been personally promoted by him following the CCP’s 20th Party Congress.

According to an analysis by the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, among the 79 full generals promoted since Xi came to power, 36 have now been removed, sidelined, or implicated in investigations.

Ning Haizong contributed to this report.
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