Xi Appoints New Chief of China’s Nuclear Arsenal

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese language President Xi Jinping, additionally the navy’s commander-in-chief, on Monday appointed a brand new head of the armed drive overseeing the nation’s typical – and nuclear – missiles, someday earlier than the anniversary of the Individuals’s Liberation Military.

Wang Houbin, former deputy commander of the navy, was named the brand new head of the PLA Rocket Pressure, and Xu Xisheng, its new political commissar, with each males buying the highest rank of normal, based on state media.

Till his transfer to the PLA Rocket Pressure, Wang had been deputy commander of the navy since 2020. He was beforehand additionally the deputy chief of employees on the Navy.

Xu was previously the deputy political commissar of the Southern Theatre Command, one of many PLA’s 5 theatre instructions.

State media didn’t say the place the PLA Rocket Pressure’s earlier chief, Li Yuchao, was reassigned or state his whereabouts.

The brand new appointments got here a day forward of the 96th anniversary of the PLA’s founding on Aug. 1.

Xi has repeatedly urged the navy to deepen battle and fight planning to extend the probabilities of victory in precise fight to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territory.

China says it’s dedicated to a defensive nuclear technique, and pledges to no first use of nuclear weapons. It says it would additionally not use or threaten to make use of nuclear weapons in opposition to non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear weapon free zones.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Modifying by Alex Richardson)

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