Jinan Military Region

Jinan Military Region
Jinan Military Region (highlighted)
Simplified Chinese	济南军区
Traditional Chinese	濟南軍區
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jǐnán Jūnqū

Jinan Military Region
Active	1955(?)-present
Country
Commanders
Current commander	Zhao Zongqi

The Jinan Military Region is one of seven military districts located in the east of the People's Republic of China, covering the Shandong and Henan Provinces, which also form military districts. It appears that Yang Dezhi was one of the first commander of the Jinan MR, from 1958. It is considered a strategic reserve. It includes some of the area previously within the Wuhan Military Region, disbanded in 1985-88.

There are three Group Armies within the Region, the 20th Group Army at Kaifeng, the 26th Group Army at Weifang, and the 54th in Xinxiang. It previously included the now disbanded 67th Group Army.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies attributes the formation with 190,000 personnel, including two armoured divisions, one mechanised infantry division, three motorised infantry divisions, one artillery division, one armoured brigade, one mechanised infantry brigade, four motorised infantry brigades, two artillery brigades, three anti-aircraft brigades, and an anti-tank regiment.

However the People's Liberation Army Ground Force are still reorganising their formations, and numbers of divisions and brigades should be considered indicative.

Known formations include the 127th Mechanised Infantry Division within 54th Group Army, at Luoyang, a ready reaction unit, and the 11th Armoured Brigade with 20th Group Army at Xuchang.

Current Officers

• Zhao Zongqi (Commander), since November 2012
  • Wang Jun (Deputy Commander), since December 2011
  • Ji Wenming (Deputy Commander), since July 2014
  • Liu Zhigang (Deputy Commander), since December 2014
  • Zhang Ming (Chief-of-Staff), since December 2014

• Du Hengyan (Political Commissar), since July 2010
  • Lü Jiancheng (Deputy Political Commissar), since July 2010
  • Wu Shezhou (Political Department Director) since December 2014

Nickname

Organizations affiliated with the Jinan Military Region often use the nickname "vanguard" (Chinese: 前卫; pinyin: qiánweì; literally: "front guard"), including the Vanguard Performance Troupe (Chinese: 前卫文工团) and the Vanguard Newspaper (Chinese: 前卫报).

References

• International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006
• Chapter 8, PLA Ground Forces, by Dennis J Blasko, in The People's Liberation Army as Organisation, RAND, CF182
• www.sinodefence.com