Western Theater Command

The Western Theater Command is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army of China since 2016.

Western Theater Command
Western Theater Command
Simplified Chinese	西部战区
Traditional Chinese	西部戰區
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xībù zhànqū

Its jurisdiction includes Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Chongqing. Its commander is General Zhao Zongqi and its political commissar is General Wu Shezhou.

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.[1] 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 Party-run Global Times reported the change would allow the command “to shoulder more combat assignments”.

The Western Theater Command's air forces include the 6th, 33rd, 37th, and 44th Fighter Divisions, 4th Transport Division and the 36th Bomber Division.