He Weidong
He Weidong | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
何卫东 | |||||||
Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission | |||||||
In office State Commission: 11 March 2023 – March 2025 Party Commission: 23 October 2022 – March 2025 Serving with Zhang Youxia | |||||||
Chairman | Xi Jinping | ||||||
Preceded by | Xu Qiliang | ||||||
Commander of the Eastern Theater Command | |||||||
In office December 2019 – January 2022 | |||||||
Preceded by | Liu Yuejun | ||||||
Succeeded by | Lin Xiangyang | ||||||
Commander of the Western Theater Command Ground Force | |||||||
In office February 2016 – December 2019 | |||||||
Preceded by | New title | ||||||
Succeeded by | Xu Qiling | ||||||
Commander of the Shanghai Garrison Command | |||||||
In office March 2014 – February 2016 | |||||||
Preceded by | Peng Shuigen | ||||||
Succeeded by | Zhang Xiaoming | ||||||
Commander of the Jiangsu Military District | |||||||
In office July 2013 – March 2014 | |||||||
Preceded by | Sun Xinliang | ||||||
Succeeded by | Li Kerang | ||||||
Personal details | |||||||
Born | May 1957 (age 67) Nanping, Fujian, China | ||||||
Political party | Chinese Communist Party | ||||||
Alma mater | PLA Nanjing Army Command College National University of Defense Technology | ||||||
Military service | |||||||
Allegiance | ![]() | ||||||
Branch/service | ![]() | ||||||
Years of service | 1972–present | ||||||
Rank | ![]() | ||||||
Commands | Eastern Theater Command | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 何衛東 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 何卫东 | ||||||
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He Weidong (Chinese: 何卫东; born May 1957) is a general (shangjiang) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who served as the second-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission from March 2023 to March 2025, and member of the 20th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from March 2023.
He served as commander of the Eastern Theater Command from 2019 to 2022. He was promoted to the rank of major general (shaojiang) in July 2008, lieutenant general (zhongjiang) in July 2017 and general (shangjiang) in December 2019.
Education
[edit]He was born in Nanping, Fujian, with ancestry was in the town of Xuhe, in Dongtai, Jiangsu in May 1957. In 1981 he graduated from PLA Nanjing Army Command College. In 2001 he entered the National University of Defense Technology.[1]
Military career
[edit]He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in December 1972 after middle school. He was Commander of Jiangsu Military District in July 2013 and Shanghai Garrison Command in March 2014. In February 2015 he succeeded Zhu Shengling as a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[2] In July 2016 he was transferred to Deputy Commander of the Western Theater Command and Commander of the Western Theater Command Ground Force.[3] On February 24, 2018, he was elected as a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress.[4] In September 2019, he was promoted to become Commander of the Eastern Theater Command, replacing Liu Yuejun.[5][6]
Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
[edit]In October 2022, Zhang was named as a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and the second-ranking vice chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission. He also became the vice chairman of the state CMC in March 2023.[7][8]
In January 2024, at the annual meeting of the disciplinary inspectors of the PLA, He said the military should "adhere to a strict tone, use stricter standards to scrutinize the key few, and show determination to get to the bottom of long-standing [corruption] problems". He also called on the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection to maintain loyalty and support to CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping.[9] In March, during a discussion with a PLA delegation, He called on crackdowns on "fake combat capabilities".[10]
In April 2025, the Financial Times reported that He was under anti-corruption investigations and was removed from his post as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "新晋上将何卫东任东部战区司令、李凤彪任战略支援部队司令". 司令员_新浪财经_新浪网 (in Chinese). 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ^ Yang Lina (杨丽娜); Chang Xuemei (常雪梅) (13 February 2015). 上海警备区司令员何卫东任上海市委委员、常委. people.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Yue Huairang (岳怀让) (8 July 2016). 上海警备区原司令员何卫东少将升任西部战区陆军司令员. thepaper (in Chinese). Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "(受权发布)中华人民共和国第十三届全国人民代表大会代表名单". 中国新闻网_梳理天下新闻 (in Chinese). 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2025-04-12.
- ^ 7人晋升上将军衔 何卫东升任东部战区司令(图). sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Yu Hui (余辉) (18 March 2022). 将军履新!中部战区原司令员上将林向阳重回东部战区. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2022 (PDF). Arlington, VA: U.S. Department of Defense. 2022. p. 42.
- ^ Hart, Brian (2022-10-12). "How Did the 20th Party Congress Impact China's Military?". ChinaPower Project. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Zheng, William (13 January 2024). "China's military graft-busters told to 'scrutinise the key few' powerful officials". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Wang, Amber (9 March 2024). "Chinese general calls for crackdown on 'fake combat capabilities' in the military". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Sevastopulo, Demetri (2025-04-10). "Top Chinese general removed in latest Xi Jinping purge". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- 1957 births
- Living people
- People from Nanping
- Purged Chinese military officers
- National University of Defense Technology alumni
- People's Liberation Army generals from Fujian
- People's Republic of China politicians from Fujian
- Chinese Communist Party politicians from Fujian
- Delegates to the 13th National People's Congress
- Delegates to the 14th National People's Congress
- Members of the 20th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party