Eastern Theater Command

Eastern Theater Command's area of responsibility (AOR) includes East China, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait.{{Cite report |url=https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/03/2002885874/-1/-1/0/2021-CMPR-FINAL.PDF |title=Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2021 Annual Report to Congress (Office of the Secretary of Defense) |date=2021 |location=Arlington, Virginia}} The command's primary missions are maintaining security in the East China Sea and the conduct of major operations against Taiwan, including the Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Islands. It is also likely responsible for matters relating to Japan, including the Ryukyu Archipelago, the Tsushima Strait and the disputed Senkaku Islands.{{Cite book |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN33195-ATP_7-100.3-000-WEB-1.pdf |title=Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 7-100.3: Chinese Tactics |publisher=Headquarters, Department of the Army (United States) |year=2021 |isbn=9798457607118 |location=Washington D.C. |pages=35 |language=en}}{{Cite report |url=https://media.defense.gov/2020/Sep/01/2002488689/-1/-1/1/2020-DOD-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT-FINAL.PDF |title=Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China |date=2020 |location=Arlington, Virginia}}

On 1 February 2016, the Eastern Theater Command held its inaugural meeting in the Bayi Building in Beijing. The meeting was held concurrently with all of the other newly created theater commands. General Secretary of the CCP and Chairman of the CMC Xi Jinping was in attendance, awarding military flags and issuing the official instructions. CMC Vice Chairman and CCP Politburo Member Fan Changlong read out the orders while CMC Vice Chairman Xu Qiliang presided.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

In response to the 2022 visit by United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the Eastern Theater Command conducted joint ground, air, and naval military exercises including live-fire drills, missile launches over Taipei, and Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) incursions.{{Cite web |last=Liu Zhen |date=3 August 2022 |title=China vows military operations around Taiwan in response to Pelosi visit |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187506/china-vows-military-operations-around-taiwan-response-us-house |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802215631/http://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187506/china-vows-military-operations-around-taiwan-response-us-house |archive-date=2 August 2022 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2 August 2022 |title=China to launch 'targeted military operations' due to Pelosi visit |language=en |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china-launch-targeted-military-operations-due-pelosi-visit-2022-08-02/ |url-status=live |access-date=3 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802231811/https://www.reuters.com/world/china-launch-targeted-military-operations-due-pelosi-visit-2022-08-02/ |archive-date=2 August 2022}}{{cite web |last=Plummer |first=Robert |date=4 August 2022 |title=Taiwan braces as China drills follow Pelosi visit |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62416363 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806135940/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62416363 |archive-date=6 August 2022 |access-date=6 August 2022 |website=BBC News}}{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Abbie |date=2 August 2022 |title=21 Chinese warplanes, including more than a dozen fighter aircraft, flew through Taiwan's air defense zone on the day of Pelosi's visit |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-warplanes-enter-taiwan-air-defense-zone-pelosi-visit-2022-8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802200623/https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-warplanes-enter-taiwan-air-defense-zone-pelosi-visit-2022-8 |archive-date=2 August 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Chinese missiles suspected of landing in Japan's economic zone |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/4/chinese-missiles-suspected-of-landing-in-japans-economic-zone |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804153403/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/4/chinese-missiles-suspected-of-landing-in-japans-economic-zone |archive-date=4 August 2022 |access-date=5 August 2022 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}

The Eastern Theater Command, like other Chinese theater commands, consists of a joint headquarters, a joint logistics support center (JSLC) from the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, a PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) service component, a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) service component, a PLA Navy (PLAN) service component, and a PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) service component. Within Eastern Theater Command these units these are the Nanjing headquarters, Wuxi Joint Logistics Support Facility, Eastern Theater Command Ground Forces, Eastern Theater Command Air Force, Eastern Fleet, and Base 61.

Located in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, the Eastern Theater Command headquarters includes both the General Staff Department, responsible for staff support to command leadership, and the Political Works Department, providing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) oversight and influence within the command. The command's General Staff Department ({{Zh|s=参谋部|p=Cānmóu Bù}}) consists of at least eight sections: combat bureau, intelligence bureau, information assurance agency, military demand bureau, joint training board, mobilization bureau, work department bureau, work direction bureau, and war service bureau.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}} The command's Political Works Department ({{Zh|s=政治工作部|p=Zhèngzhì Gōngzuò Bù}}) consists of at least six bureaus: general, organization, cadre, military and civilian, publicity, and group workers liaison bureau.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

File:Eastern-Theater-2020.png

{{main|Eastern Theater Command Ground Force}}

The PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) component of Eastern Theater Command is composed of three major units: The 71st, 72nd, and 73rd Group Army. Since 2017 reforms, the PLAGF group army represents a more evolved, flexible, and capable operational organization that provides Chinese military decision makers with the ability to task-organize forces to accomplish specific missions. Each group army doctrinally commands twelve brigades: six combined-arms brigades (CA-BDEs) and six support brigades including aviation, artillery, air defense, CBRN, special operations forces (SOF), and others.

• 301st Coastal Defense Brigade (海防第301旅) (Nantong, Jiangsu){{Cite web|url=http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1698406|title=东部南部北部战区陆军海防旅亮相，南陆某海防旅不久前刚成立|date=2017-06-01|publisher=澎湃新闻|accessdate=2017-06-01|archive-date=2020-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104081207/http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1698406|url-status=live}}
• 302nd Coastal Defense Brigade (海防第302旅) (Zhoushan, Zhejiang) {{Cite web|url=http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1701176|title=军报：东部战区陆军某海防旅刚刚由多个建制单位合并组建成立|date=2017-06-05|publisher=澎湃新闻|accessdate=2017-06-05|archive-date=2020-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104131757/http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1701176}}
• 302nd Brigade's Boat Group (302旅船艇大隊)
• 303rd Coastal Defense Brigade (海防第303旅) (Changle, Fujian){{Cite journal |last=Ministry of Defense Army General Headquarters |date=2019 |title=Eastern Theater Command Capabilities |journal=Army Academic Bimonthly |publisher=Government publication of the Republic of China | volume=55 |issue=566 |pages=26–40}}
• 303rd Brigade's Boat Group (303旅船艇大隊)
• 304th Coastal Defense Brigade (海防第304旅) (Xiamen, Fujian)
• 304th Brigade's Boat Group (304旅船艇大隊)
• 31st Pontoon Bridge Brigade (舟橋31旅) (Nanjing, Jiangsu
• 1st Long Distance Rocket Artillery Brigade (遠程火箭炮兵第1旅) (Wuxi, Jiangsu)
• 1st Information Surveillance Brigade (情報偵察第1旅) (Xiamen, Fujian)
• 1st Communication Support Brigade (信息保障第1旅) (Xuzhou, Jiangsu; Mawei, Fujian)
• 1st Brigade Electronic Counter Measures (電子對抗第1旅) (Xiamen, Fujian)

The 71st Group Army ({{Zh|s=第七十一集团军}}) traces its history back to the 12th Corps, a February 1949 consolidation of the 34th, 35th, and 36th Divisions.In accordance with the Regulation of the Redesignations of All Organizations and Units of the Army, issued by Central Military Commission on 1 November 1948. In December 1950, the 12th Corps incorporated the 31st Division of the 11th Corps and entered the Korean War, fighting in the Shangganling Campaign against two United Nations divisions.{{cite book |last=Zhang |first=Song Shan (张嵩山) |year=2010 |title=Decipher Shangganling (解密上甘岭) |publisher=Beijing Publishing House |location=Beijing |isbn=978-7-200-08113-8 |language=zh |pages=217–218}} In May 1989, the Central Military Commission mobilized at least 14 of the PLA's 24 group armies to enforce martial law against student-led protests in Tiananmen Square from five of the seven military regions, a larger force than had been mobilized for China's border wars with Vietnam, India, or the Soviet Union.(Chinese) [http://blog.boxun.com/hero/201004/wurenhua/10_1.shtml Wu Renhua, "六四北京戒严部队的数量和番号" 《1989天安门事件二十周年祭》之三] Accessed 2013-06-29(Chinese) [http://blog.boxun.com/hero/201005/wurenhua/4_1.shtml Wu Renhua, "六四：一场没有武装对手的战争" 《1989天安门事件二十周年祭》系列之八] Accessed 2013-06-28 The Nanjing Military Region, predecessor to the Eastern Theater Command, airlifted the 34th, 36th, and 110th Infantry Divisions, an artillery brigade, and an anti-aircraft battalion from the 12th Corps following Xu Qinxian's refusal to mobilize the 38th Army in Beijing.(Chinese)[http://blog.boxun.com/hero/201006/wurenhua/1_1.shtml Wu Renhua, "进京的戒严部队和进京路线" 《1989天安门事件二十周年祭》系列之十二] Accessed 2013-06-29 In 2017 the 12th Corps was disbanded and replaced by the 71st Group Army as China replaced their seven military regions with five theater commands.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

Headquartered in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, the composition of the 71st Group Army matches the Chinese doctrinal group army structure commanding six combined-arms brigades and seven support brigades. The 71st Group Army is understood to consist of the below units.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} Note, the PLAGF uniquely identifies support brigades using the same unit number as the parent group army.

• Headquarters
• 2nd Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 160th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 235th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 178th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
• 179th Light Combined-Arms Brigade
• 71st Army Aviation Brigade
• 71st Artillery Brigade
• 71st Air Defense Brigade
• 71st Special Operations Brigade
• 71st Service Support Brigade

The 72nd Group Army ({{Zh|s=第七十二集团军}}), headquartered in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, originates from the 1930 activation of the 2nd Red Army in Hunan which took part in Mao's famous Long March. The 2nd Red Army was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Corps in February 1947 taking an active role in the Chinese Civil War include in the battles for Shanzong, Fumei, and Longdong.William W. Whitson, with Chen-hsia Huang. (1973) The Chinese high command; a history of Communist military politics, 1927-71. Foreword by Lucian W. Pye. In April 1953, 1st Corps was deployed to the Korean War but returned to China after only a few months with the conflict's cessation.Witson 1972, 114(?){{Cite news |last=Cathcart |first=Adam |date=12 July 2016 |title=Reinterpreting the Withdrawal of Chinese Troops from North Korea, 1956-1958 |work=Sino-NK |url=https://sinonk.com/2016/07/12/reinterpreting-the-withdrawal-of-chinese-troops-from-north-korea-1956-1958/}} In 2017, with the transformation of military regions to theater commands, the PLAGF 1st Corps was reorganized and redesignated as the 72nd Ground Army.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} The 72nd Group Army is understood to consist of the below units.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

• Headquarters
• 10th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 5th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
• 124th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
• 85th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
• 90th Light Combined-Arms Brigade
• 72nd Army Aviation Brigade
• 72nd Artillery Brigade
• 72nd Air Defense Brigade
• 72nd Special Operations Brigade
• 72nd Service Support Brigade

The 73rd Group Army ({{Zh|s=第七十三集团军}}) is headquartered in Bantou, Jimei District, Xiamen City, of Fujian Province – directly across the strait from Taiwan.William W. Whitson (w/ Chen-hsia Huang). The Chinese High Command: A History of Communist Military Politics, 1927-71 (New York: Praeger; 1973) The 73rd Group Army's history begins in 1941 with the Shantung Column of the Shangtung Military Region. Undergoing a number of restructures and redesignations throughout the 1940s, eventually to become the 31st Corps.Richard H. Yang eds. China's Military: The PLA in 1992/1993 (Taipei: Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies; 1993): p. 191-2 Unlike the predecessors of the 71st and 72nd Group Armies (12th and 1st Corps) of the Eastern Theater Command, the 73rd Group Army's predecessor (the 31st Corps) was not selected to deploy in the early 1950s Korean War and remained in Fujian Province to defend the Chinese mainland against a potential US-Taiwan invasion.{{Cite news |last=Suciu |first=Peter |date=28 May 2021 |title=Is China Preparing Troops For An Invasion Of Taiwan? |work=19FortyFive |url=https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/is-china-preparing-troops-for-an-invasion-of-taiwan/}} Later in 1958, the 31st Corps took part in the artillery bombardment of the Republic of China's Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu Islands precipitating the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. As the 12th Corps and 1st Corps were reorganized and redesignated as the 71st and 72nd Army Groups in China's 2015–2017 military reforms, the 31st Corps became the 73rd Army Group.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} As one of two group armies in the Eastern Theater Command with amphibious combined-arms brigades, the 73rd Group has been prominently featured by Chinese media conducting amphibious landing drills in Fujian Province demonstrating its capability to take part in the use of force against Taiwan.{{Cite news |last=Wang |first=Amber |date=17 August 2022 |title=China's military says a 1950 battle has the 'winning code' for a future amphibious invasion |work=South China Morning Post |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/china-1950-battle-for-hainan-relevant-to-future-seaborne-landings-2022-8}}{{Cite news |last=Roscoe |first=Matthew |date=9 August 2022 |title=China conducts 'maritime assault exercises' on beach off coast of Fujian |work=EuroWeekly News |url=https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/08/09/china-maritime-assault-exercises-beach-fujian/}}{{Cite news |last1=Feng |first1=John |last2=Brennan |first2=David |last3=Giella |first3=Lauren |date=2 August 2022 |title=Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit: Chinese Military to Conduct Drills Around Taiwan |work=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/nancy-pelosi-taiwan-live-visit-time-china-today-update-1729959}} The 73rd Group Army is understood to consists of the below units.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

• Headquarters
• 86th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade
• 14th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
• 91st Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade
• 145th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade
• 3rd Light Combined-Arms Brigade
• 73rd Army Aviation Brigade
• 73rd Artillery Brigade
• 73nd Air Defense Brigade
• 73rd Special Operations Brigade
• 73rd Service Support Brigade

{{Main|Eastern Theater Command Air Force}}

The Eastern Theater Command Air Force is the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) component of Eastern Theater Command and is led by commander Huang Guoxian ({{Zh|s=黄国显}}) who took office in February 2016 and political commissar Lieutenant General Zhong Weiguo ({{Zh|s=钟卫国}}) who took office in June 2019.{{cite news |author1=Lin Yunshi ({{lang|zh|林韵诗}}) |date=23 February 2016 |script-title=zh:东部战区空军领导层亮相 黄国显任司令员 |language=zh |work=caixin.com |url=https://china.caixin.com/2016-02-23/100911521.html |access-date=31 August 2021}}{{cite news |author1=Lin Yunshi ({{lang|zh|林韵诗}}) |date=29 July 2019 |script-title=zh:西部战区空军副政委钟卫国转岗东部战区 |language=zh |work=caixin.com |url=https://china.caixin.com/2019-07-29/101444963.html |access-date=31 August 2021}}

The PLAAF has largely disestablished divisions and converted their subordinate regiments to brigades. With only the 10th Bomber Division remaining as a division, the Eastern Theater Command Air Force is composed of the following units.

• 8th Fighter Brigade
• 9th Fighter Brigade
• 25th Fighter Brigade
• 40th Fighter Brigade
• 41st Fighter Brigade
• 78th Fighter Brigade
• 83rd Fighter Brigade
• 85th Fighter Brigade
• 95th Fighter Brigade
• 10th Bomber Division
• 28th Bomber Regiment
• 29th Bomber Regiment
• 30th Bomber Regiment
• 76th Air Regiment
• 77th Air Regiment
• 93rd Regiment
• Unidentified drone attack brigade

• Eastern Theater Command Navy (East Sea Fleet)
• Ningbo Fleet Headquarters
• Shanghai Naval Base
• Xiangshan Naval Base
• Zhoushan Naval Base
• Fujian Naval Base
• 1st Coastal Defense Brigade (Shanghai)
• 2nd Coastal Defense Brigade (Shanghai)
• Coastal Defense Brigade (Fujian)
• 13th Coastal Defense Division, (Jinjiang, Quanzhou)
• 31st Pontoon Bridge Brigade

PLA Naval Air Force

• 1st Air Division (Shanghai)
• 17th Air Regiment (Changzhou)
• 5th Independent Bomber Regiment (Changzhou)
• 4th Naval Aviation Brigade (Taizhou)
• 11th Air Regiment (Ningbo)
• 18th Air Regiment (JH-7)

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) component of Eastern Theater Command is Base 61 in Huangshan, Anhui. Base 61 has been regarded as the PLARF's "premier conventional base opposite Taiwan" where a number of senior PLARF leadership were likely to have been stationed. Base 61 traces its origins back to August 1965 with the establishment of Unit 121 in Guangyang Township, Shitai County which was responsible for the construction of missile silos under the PLA's Second Artillery Corps (predecessor to the PLARF) and led by Liao Changmei ({{Zh|s=廖成美}}).{{cite book |last=Saunders |first=Phillip |title=Chairman Xi Remakes the PLA: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms |publisher=National Defense University Press |year=2019 |pages=401–405}}{{Cite news |last=Xingrong |first=Li |date=4 March 2014 |title=红土名人廖成美 |language=zh |trans-title=Clay Celebrity Liao Chengmei |work=Minxi Revolutionary History Museum |url=http://www.crt.com.cn/news2007/news/mxHSMR/1434175328I0J4968G7651K1218AI4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514022113/http://www.crt.com.cn/news2007/news/mxHSMR/1434175328I0J4968G7651K1218AI4.html |archive-date=14 May 2019}} PLA Rocket Force 61st Base (Huangshan City, Anhui Province) The unit was converted into the Project 303 headquarters in June 1966 and remained until 25 May 1968 when the Central Military Commission renamed the headquarters to Base 52 of the Second Artillery Corps, the PLARF component of the Nanjing Military Region (predecessor to the Eastern Theater Command). PLA Rocket Force 61st Base (Huangshan City, Anhui Province) Base 52 comprised the 807th, 811th, 815th, 817th, 818th, 819th, 820th, and 827th Brigades armed with DF-21, DF-15C, DF-15A, DF-11A, CJ-10A, and DF-21C ballistic missiles. PLA Rocket Force 61st Base (Huangshan City, Anhui Province) In 2016 the newly established PLARF took command of Base 52 which would be redesignated as Base 61 and its subordinate brigades renamed 611 to 618.{{cite journal |last1=Gill |first1=Bates |last2=Ni |first2=Adam |date=2019-03-04 |title=The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force: reshaping China's approach to strategic deterrence |url=https://www.adamni.com/download/Gill%20and%20Ni%202019%20-%20PLARF%20and%20deterrence.pdf |journal=Australian Journal of International Affairs |language=en-AU |volume=73 |issue=2 |pages=160–180 |doi=10.1080/10357718.2018.1545831 |issn=1035-7718 |s2cid=159087704}}{{cite web |last=Stokes |first=Mark |date=March 12, 2010 |title=China's Nuclear Warhead Storage and Handling System |url=https://project2049.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/chinas_nuclear_warhead_storage_and_handling_system.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112110144/https://project2049.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/chinas_nuclear_warhead_storage_and_handling_system.pdf |archive-date=January 12, 2020 |website=Project 2049 Institute}}{{Cite journal |last1=Kristensen |first1=Hans M. |last2=Korda |first2=Matt |date=2019-07-04 |title=Chinese nuclear forces, 2019 |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |volume=75 |issue=4 |pages=171–178 |doi=10.1080/00963402.2019.1628511 |bibcode=2019BuAtS..75d.171K |issn=0096-3402|doi-access=free }}

{{Reflist}}

• Eastern Theater Command Air Force
• Eastern Theater Command Ground Force
• Eastern Theater Command Navy
• Republic of China Armed Forces

{{PLA Military Region}}

{{People's Liberation Army}}

{{Structure of People's Liberation Army Ground Force since 2017}}

{{coord missing|China}}

Category:Theater commands of the People's Liberation Army

Category:Military units and formations established in 2016

Category:2016 establishments in China

Category:Theater Command grade units of the Armed Forces of China