Xinjiang Military District

Xinjiang Military District
中国人民解放军新疆军区
Map of Xinjiang Military District in 2024]]
Founded1 February 2016; 8 years ago (2016-02-01)
Country People's Republic of China
Allegiance Chinese Communist Party
TypeMilitary District of the PLA
RoleCommand and control
Part of People's Liberation Army
HeadquartersXinjiang, Urumqi
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Liu Lin
Political CommisarLieutenant General Yang Cheng
Chief of StaffMajor General Liu Haifu
People's Liberation Army
Executive departments
Staff
Services
Arms
Domestic troops
Special operations force
Military districts
History of the Chinese military
Military ranks of China

The Xinjiang Military District (新疆军区) is a special military area of the PLA at the Theater Deputy-grade.(副战区级). It is one of three districts (Tibet and Beijing being the other two) that are directly under the Central Military Commission and its Joint Army Staff rather than under their Theater Command[1] (in this case, the Western Theater Command.)[2]

The district includes all of Xinjiang, plus the Ngari district of Tibet.[3] It has also direct military jurisdiction over the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC).

History

The Xinjiang Military District of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in December 1949 as a subordinate military area to the Northwest Military Region and was elevated to a major military region in May 1955, operating directly under the Central Military Commission's authority.[4]

In 1979, it was rebranded as the Urumqi Military Region; in June 1985, it amalgamated with the Lanzhou Military Region and concurrently established the Xinjiang Military Region, which operated at the corps level under the auspices of the Lanzhou Military Region; in April 1992, it was elevated to full military status following the dissolution of the corps-level structure; in October 1998, it was promoted to the status of vice-great-military region.[5]

The current Xinjiang Military District was created in 2016 from the former Lanzhou Military Region as part of the 2015 reforms. While it is officially under the jurisdiction of the Western Theater.[6]

The XMD covers the contested area of Aksai Chin, and it is a sensitive hotspot in China's borders. In 2020, it was the XMD that got involved in skirmishes and a protracted stand-off with India.[7]

Recently (as of 2024) there have been efforts to create a "six-in-one" border defense system, in which the PLA, the police, the militia, party officials, government officials, and civilians would cooperate in patrolling the enormously long and harsh border of both the Xinjiang and Tibet MDs, with an emphasis on local nomadic tribes that know the terrain and are highly mobile by definition.[8]

Territorial Command Divisions

The XMD is divided into the northern district and the southern Xinjiang subdistrict (Nanjiang), which is a Corps-graded (正军级) unit responsible for the volatile Sino-Indian border.[9]

These two main sub-areas are then divided into the following command sectors, generally comprising a prefecture:

  • Directly under the Xinjiang Military District:
    • Urumqi Garrison Area (乌鲁木齐警备区)
    • Karamay Military Sector (克拉玛依军分区)
    • Shihezi Military Sector (石河子军分区)
    • Turpan Military Sector (吐鲁番军分区)
    • Hami Military Sector (哈密军分区)
    • Changji Military Sector (昌吉军分区)
    • Ili Military Sector (伊犁军分区)
    • Tacheng Military Sector (塔城军分区)
    • Altay Military Sector (阿勒泰军分区)
    • Bortala Military Sector (博尔塔拉军分区)
  • Southern Xinjiang Military Region (Corps grade) – 南疆军区
    • Bayingolin Military Sector (巴音郭楞军分区)
    • Aksu Military Sector (阿克苏军分区)
    • Kashgar Military Sector (喀什军分区)
    • Kizilsu Military Sector (克孜勒苏军分区)
    • Hotan Military Sector (和田军分区)
    • Ngari Military Sector (阿里军分区)
  • XPCC Military Department (Corps Deputy grade) 新疆生产建设兵团军事部

Current Military Units

As of 2022, the People's Liberation Army Ground Force units garrisoning the District are as follows (including their main garrison location). Xinjiang is one of the few military regions in which full divisions are still retained as an organizational level post the 2015 reforms (which reduced most divisions into combined arms brigades).[2] Due to the very long border it patrols, there are also fifteen Border Defense regiments assigned as well as the main maneuver force.

Maneuver Force

Border Defense Units

The Border Defense regiments cover some of the most challenging terrain in the world, and it is occasionally reported that some units still use horses for patrolling.[15]

References

  1. ^ Cordesman, Anthony H. (August 1, 2016). "Chinese Military Organization and Reform".
  2. ^ a b U.S. Department of Defense. "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China -- Annual Report to Congress" (PDF). Media Defense.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  3. ^ "Assessing the Role of the PLA Southern Theater Command in a China-India Contingency". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  4. ^ 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志编纂委员会. 《新疆通志・军事志》编纂委员会 (1997). 新疆通志: 军事志. 第二十八卷. 新疆维吾尔自治区地方志丛书 (in Chinese). 新疆人民出版社. p. 857. ISBN 978-7-228-03084-2. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  5. ^ 中国人民革命军事博物馆 (2009). 軍事史林 (in Chinese). 军事史林杂志社. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  6. ^ 中共軍史、軍力和對臺威脅. 血歷史 (in Chinese). 獨立作家－秀威出版. 2023. p. 141. ISBN 978-626-7128-58-9. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  7. ^ "PLA officer wounded in China-India border clash 'keen to return'". South China Morning Post. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  8. ^ Youten, Tenzin (2023-09-15). "China Boosts Security Near Indian Border By Forming Civilian-Military Units; But It Could Backfire In Tibet & Xinjiang". Eurasian Times. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  9. ^ Achuthan (Retd.), Col JK (2023-12-15). "For Entrapping the Chinese Military – What the Indian Forces should do next?". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  10. ^ "PLA modernises Xinjiang's military units in 'reaction' to India-China LAC row". Hindustan Times. 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  11. ^ "Type 15 lightweight tank enters service with PLA's Xinjiang Military Command". Janes Information Services. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  12. ^ O’Donnell Alex Bollfrass, Frank. "The Strategic Postures of China and India: A Visual Guide" (PDF). Harvard University's Kennedy School, Belfer Center. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  13. ^ a b "A Baseline Assessment of the PLA Army's Border Reinforcement Operations in the Aksai Chin". Strategic Studies Institute. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  14. ^ "Understanding the military build-up on the China–India border". IISS. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  15. ^ "PLA border defense troop carries out horse-riding training on plateau in Xinjiang - China Military". eng.chinamil.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-07.