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Eastern Theater Command
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Eastern Theater Command
The Eastern Theater Command (Chinese: 东部战区; pinyin: Dōngbù zhànqū) is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The command is headquartered in Nanjing.
Founded on 1 February 2016, the command replaced the Nanjing Military Region. Its jurisdiction includes the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai and the East China Sea to include the Taiwan Strait. The Eastern Theater Command is primarily composed three subordinate single-service component commands: the Eastern Theater Ground Force of the PLAGF, the East Sea Fleet of the PLAN, and the Eastern Theater Command Air Force of the PLAAF which conduct combat operations within the command's area of responsibility. Also under the Eastern Theater Command is the Wuxi Joint Logistics Support Center (JSLC) of the CMC's Joint Logistics Support Force which provides logistic and material support to the command and Base 61 of the PLARF which is responsible for missile employment in the Eastern Theater.
Eastern Theater Command's area of responsibility (AOR) includes East China, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait. 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.
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]
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. Another set of Chinese military exercises around Taiwan by the command began on 8 April 2023, after president Tsai visited U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Upon taking office, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, prompting China to conduct military exercises codenamed Joint Sword-2024A. In October 2024, China conducted further military exercises named Joint Sword-2024B. In April 2025, China launched the Strait Thunder–2025A exercises. On 29 December, the Eastern Theater Command announced a major military exercise around Taiwan codenamed Justice Mission 2025, involving the command's land, sea, air, and rocket forces.
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 (Chinese: 参谋部; pinyin: 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] The command's Political Works Department (Chinese: 政治工作部; pinyin: Zhèngzhì Gōngzuò Bù) consists of at least six bureaus: general, organization, cadre, military and civilian, publicity, and group workers liaison bureau.[citation needed]
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. Its commander is Kong Jun (Chinese: 孔军) who formerly served as the first commander of the PLA Marine Corps.
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Eastern Theater Command
The Eastern Theater Command (Chinese: 东部战区; pinyin: Dōngbù zhànqū) is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The command is headquartered in Nanjing.
Founded on 1 February 2016, the command replaced the Nanjing Military Region. Its jurisdiction includes the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai and the East China Sea to include the Taiwan Strait. The Eastern Theater Command is primarily composed three subordinate single-service component commands: the Eastern Theater Ground Force of the PLAGF, the East Sea Fleet of the PLAN, and the Eastern Theater Command Air Force of the PLAAF which conduct combat operations within the command's area of responsibility. Also under the Eastern Theater Command is the Wuxi Joint Logistics Support Center (JSLC) of the CMC's Joint Logistics Support Force which provides logistic and material support to the command and Base 61 of the PLARF which is responsible for missile employment in the Eastern Theater.
Eastern Theater Command's area of responsibility (AOR) includes East China, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait. 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.
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]
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. Another set of Chinese military exercises around Taiwan by the command began on 8 April 2023, after president Tsai visited U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Upon taking office, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, prompting China to conduct military exercises codenamed Joint Sword-2024A. In October 2024, China conducted further military exercises named Joint Sword-2024B. In April 2025, China launched the Strait Thunder–2025A exercises. On 29 December, the Eastern Theater Command announced a major military exercise around Taiwan codenamed Justice Mission 2025, involving the command's land, sea, air, and rocket forces.
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 (Chinese: 参谋部; pinyin: 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] The command's Political Works Department (Chinese: 政治工作部; pinyin: Zhèngzhì Gōngzuò Bù) consists of at least six bureaus: general, organization, cadre, military and civilian, publicity, and group workers liaison bureau.[citation needed]
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. Its commander is Kong Jun (Chinese: 孔军) who formerly served as the first commander of the PLA Marine Corps.
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