Western Theater Command


The Western Theater Command is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army. It was founded on 1 February 2016. Its jurisdiction includes Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Chongqing. Guizhou is also sometimes listed as part of the command.

Area of Responsibility (AOR)

Its jurisdiction includes Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Chongqing. Guizhou is also sometimes listed as part of the command. Western Theater Command's Area of Responsibility consists of India, South Asia, Central Asia, Western Mongolia, Pakistan and Afghanistan

History

In May 2016, the PRC raised the rank and status of its western Tibet Military Command to widen its scope for missions and combat preparedness, in a move analysts in Beijing said was aimed in part at fortifying the border with India. The Xinjiang Military Command may also be elevated in the future, the report said. Both commands are under the newly created Western Theater Command, the largest of five newly reorganised military regions of the PLA. The Chinese Communist Party-run tabloid Global Times reported the change would allow the command “to shoulder more combat assignments”.

Organizational structure

The Western Theater Command consists of the following components:
Released on 4 November 2020, the Western Theater Command released "The Battle Hymn of the Western Theater Command" with lyrics written by the then commander of the Western Theater Command, General Zhao Zongqi and music composed by Luan Kai.

List of leaders

Commanders

Political commissars