PLA's 96th Anniversary Today, President Xi Jinping Appoints New Missile Troop Commander

Illustration of China's DF-5b ICBM. (Wikimedia Commons/Voice of America)

JAKARTA - President and commander-in-chief of China's military, Xi Jinping, announced a new commander for the country's missile forces, one of the branches under the People's Liberation Army (PLA) or the Chinese military, ahead of his birthday which falls today.

The commander of the missile force or Rocket Force is responsible for missiles belonging to the Bamboo Curtain country, both conventional and nuclear missiles.

Former PLA Navy Deputy Commander Vice Admiral Wang Houbin, entrusted by President Xi to head the PLA Rocket Force. Meanwhile, Xu Xisheng, his new political commissar, with the two men will gain the highest rank of general, according to state media, reported Reuters Aug. 1.

Prior to moving to the PLA Rocket Force, Wang had served as Deputy Naval Commander since 2020. He also previously served as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

Meanwhile, Xu himself was previously deputy political commissar of the Southern Theater Command, one of the PLA's five theater commands.

State media did not say where the previous head of the PLA Rocket Force, Li Yuchao, had been transferred or reveal his whereabouts.

The new appointments come a day ahead of the 96th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on August 1.

Citing various sources, the Chinese PLA itself consists of the Army, Navy, Ground Forces, Rocket Forces and Strategic Support Troops. In total, the number of PLA personnel is estimated at 2,035,000 people with about 510,000 reserve troops (according to 2022 data).

President Xi himself has repeatedly urged the military to deepen war and battle planning, so as to increase the chances of victory in the actual battle to safeguard China's sovereignty and territory.

China says it is committed to a defensive nuclear strategy and vows not to use nuclear weapons for the first time. China also said it would not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear country or a nuclear weapons-free zone.