Thread by @neilthomas123

Unusual personnel changes afoot in China's People's Liberation Army

Xi Jinping today held a ceremony for 5 PLA rising stars promoted to top General rank & given new roles

New commanders for Xinjiang/Tibet/India, Beijing, Navy, Air Force, Defense Uni

cpc.people.com.cn/n1/2021/0906/c…

What's unusual is appointment of Wang Haijiang 汪海江 as Western Theater commander (Xinjiang, Tibet, India)

Wang replaces Xu Qiling 徐起零 who was only promoted in July

Xu's precursor Zhang Xudong 张旭东 replaced Zhao Zongqi 赵宗岐 in December

That's 4 commanders in 10 months!

The PLA is opaque and I'm not a military specialist, but it seems Xi is dissatisfied with the PLA in Western China?

Zhao Zongqi retired, but both Xu Qiling and and Zhang Xudong are only 59

Neither appears to have been given a new role since being relieved of the Western command

I don't know why there's been such high turnover of PLA leaders in the Western Theater Command

Xi visited Tibet in July so could reflect displeasure at Sino-Indian border situation, ethnic affairs, or something else

I haven't yet seen any authoritative sources that shed light

Wang Haijiang was previously commander of Xinjiang Military District, Tibet MD & deputy of South Xinjiang MD & fought in Vietnam war. Big focus on ethnic & border areas.

Wang is only 58 this year & made Lieutenant General rank in 2019, so he's one to watch if he does a good job

Chang Dingqiu 常丁求 promoted to Commander of PLA Air Force

Previously deputy chief of staff at Joint Staff Dept of Central Military Commission

Chang is 54. Chinese media say this makes him the youngest PLA General EVER. One day he could be a CMC vice chair on the Politburo...

Lin Xiangyang 林向阳 promoted to Commander of Central Theater Command, headquartered in Beijing

Previously commander of ground forces in Eastern Theater, which oversees Taiwan missions

Lin is only 57 this year and was only promoted to Lieutenant General last year. Rising star.

Xu Xueqiang 许学强 promoted to President of PLA National Defense University

Previously air force commander of the Northern Theater, which oversees Korean Peninsula, Russia, Mongolia issues

Xu is 59 this year and made the last rank only two years ago so also kinda a rising star

Dong Jun 董军 promoted to Commander of PLA Navy

Previously deputy commander of PLAN and of Southern Theater Command, which oversees South China Sea

Official sources don't give his age but he was at the vice admiral rank since 2018 before making admiral, so not as fast a rise

It's not yet clear if the generals these rising stars replaced have new roles

But it seems like experience with Taiwan, SCS, border areas, and CMC are good ways to get promoted

Which suggests the importance of territorial issues and political reform in CCP military thinking