China has appointed new commanders of its army and air force in a reshuffle ahead of next month' s Communist Party congress, as President Xi Jinping brings new blood into the military' s top ranks amid an ambitious modernization program. Current top…
BEIJING — China has appointed new commanders of its army and air force in a reshuffle ahead of next month’s Communist Party congress, as President Xi Jinping brings new blood into the military’s top ranks amid an ambitious modernization program. China’s armed forces, the world’s largest, are ramping up their capabilities with new equipment like aircraft carriers and stealth fighters as the country pursues a more assertive stance in the disputed East and South China Seas and seeks to project power far from home shores. The new army chief, Han Weiguo, is not a high-profile figure but has risen rapidly, with three promotions since 2015. He was also commanding officer in charge of a military parade in Inner Mongolia in July overseen by Xi to mark 90 years since the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. Han had previously served as head of the central theater command, a military district that includes Beijing and a large swathe of central China.
