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William Zheng

A senior naval aviation officer appears to have been appointed the Chinese navy’s acting commander, highlighting the armed forces’ focus on joint operations.
Vice-Admiral Cui Yuzhong, 61, was the highest ranking naval commanding officer at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier in the southern province of Hainan last week, according to footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV.
Cui is the deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and appeared walking behind President Xi Jinping and briefing him during an inspection of the vessel on Wednesday.
The commissioning of the Fujian – the country’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier – is regarded as the most important event this year for the Chinese military and a reflection of the PLA’s rapid modernisation.
Civilian and military officials are usually carefully vetted before they can attend such an event.
Also present was the navy’s deputy political commissioner, Leng Shaojie.
Cui and Leng appeared to assume the roles that would otherwise be taken by navy commander Hu Zhongming, and political commissar Yuan Huazhi, who were absent from the ceremony.




Hu has missed a series of important political events in recent months, including the Communist Party’s fourth plenum in October, with no official reason given. Yuan has been expelled from the party and the military for corruption.
Other unexplained absentees were Wu Yanan and Wang Wenquan, the commander and political commissar of the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command, which will oversee the Fujian.
If confirmed as the navy’s top commander, Cui is likely to be promoted to admiral. Unlike his predecessor Hu, who was a submarine commander, Cui has been a naval aviation commander at all three of China’s three fleets.
He was the chief of staff of naval aviation for the North Sea Fleet before being promoted to the PLA Navy’s assistant chief of staff in July 2013.
In March 2016, he became deputy commander of the navy’s South Sea Fleet and its naval aviation commander. In July 2016, he was reassigned as deputy commander of the East Sea Fleet as well as its naval aviation commander.
In April 2020, he was promoted to navy deputy chief of staff and, eight months later, took on the job of deputy commander of the Eastern Theatre Command. Then, in June 2021, he rose to the role of navy deputy commander.




Leng, 62, was parachuted into the navy from the PLA Ground Force at the end of last year, after a slew of downfalls in the navy’s top ranks, beginning with the expulsion of Miao Hua, the PLA’s ideological and personnel chief and former admiral.
A Beijing-based political analyst said Cui’s appearance at the commissioning ceremony meant he was set to move to a higher position.
“His appearance on the Fujian’s commissioning means Cui and Leng are the de facto acting navy chief and acting political commissar,” he said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject.
“It is significant as Cui has been a naval aviator all his career. It shows that Beijing wants someone who has a deep understanding of the integration of vessels and naval aviation within the overall naval operation, especially now that it has three aircraft carriers.”


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China

Military

Vice-Admiral Cui was seen briefing the president at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier last week


Vice-Admiral Cui was seen briefing the president at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier last week.


Fujian Type 003 aircraft carrier

Is PLA aviator Cui Yuzhong on track to be the Chinese navy’s new commander?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Vice-Admiral Cui was seen briefing the president at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier last week

Vice-Admiral Cui was seen briefing the president at the commissioning of the Fujian aircraft carrier last week