China reshuffled its top military ranks on Tuesday, weeks before a once-in-a-decade generational leadership change which sources said would see the outgoing air force commander promoted to vice chairman of the military’s top decisionmaking body.
General Ma Xiaotian (馬曉天), 63, was named air force commander, replacing General Xu Qiliang (許其亮), 62, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Ma has been one of the secretive military’s most visible faces, speaking at forums overseas and leading talks with US defense officials aimed at building trust between the world’s two largest economies.
The report did not say what would happen to Xu, but three independent sources with ties to the top leadership and the People’s Liberation Army said Xu was tipped to be named one of two vice chairmen of the powerful Central Military Commission.
The government generally does not comment on elite politics and personnel changes before an official announcement.
Xu’s air force background means he can be expected to champion the interests of the force at the center of power, including the development of China’s first indigenous stealth fighter.
Xu is one of eight members of the military commission, which is headed by Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
Hu is widely expected to step down as party chief during a congress which opens on Nov. 8 and as president during the annual session of parliament in March next year. Anointed successor Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平) will almost certainly take over both posts.
However, sources and analysts are divided over whether Hu will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Jiang Zemin (江澤民), who hung on to the military chairmanship for two years after stepping down as president.
Hu, 69, has not made public his plans for retirement, but unlike in the West where former presidents and prime ministers tend to fade from the public eye, Chinese leaders seek to maintain influence to avoid possible adverse political repercussions down the road and to preserve their legacy.
Hu’s most noticeable legacy was mending fences with Taiwan after bilateral ties plunged as a result of menacing Chinese war games ahead of the first direct presidential election in 1996.
The 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army, the world’s biggest armed forces, has rattled the region with an ambitious buildup overseen by Hu, including the launch of the country’s first aircraft carrier.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source