Zhuang Kezhu

Zhuang Kezhu (Chinese: 庄可柱; born February 1955) is a lieutenant general (zhong jiang) of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China. He was the inaugural Commander of the Central Theater Command Air Force, serving from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, he served as the Air Force Commander of the Beijing Military Region and the Lanzhou Military Region.

Zhuang Kezhu
庄可柱
Commander of the Central Theater Command Air Force
In office
January 2016 – December 2018
Preceded byNew position
Succeeded byHan Shengyan (韩胜延)
Commander of the Beijing Military Region Air Force
In office
July 2013 – January 2016
Preceded byMa Zhenjun
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Commander of the Lanzhou Military Region Air Force
In office
December 2011 – July 2013
Preceded byZhu Qingyi
Succeeded byZhang Yihu
Personal details
BornFebruary 1955 (age 65–66)
Yanji, Jilin, China
Political partyCommunist Party of China (1976-present)
Alma materYunnan Normal University
Military service
Allegiance China
Branch/servicePeople's Liberation Army Air Force
Years of service1974 – present
Rank Lieutenant General
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhuang.

Biography

Zhuang was born in February 1955 in Yanji, Jilin Province. He joined the PLA in March 1974, and the Communist Party of China in August 1976. He holds a graduate degree in computer software and theory from Yunnan Normal University.[1][2]

Zhuang rose quickly in his early career. He was commander of the 33rd Fighter Division, the top division in Southwest China and always the first combat unit to equip with new generation aircraft in that region. He was promoted to commander of the Kunming Forward Headquarters in 1999. In 2005 he was transferred to Beijing to serve as assistant chief of staff of the PLAAF, in charge of combat plans and training of air force units in the southwest. He has thus gained valuable access to the top air force leadership on the one hand and had rich commanding experience at the basic campaign units on the other.[3]

In January 2005, he became chief of staff of the Lanzhou Military Region Air Force. In July 2010, he was transferred to the same position in the Guangzhou Military Region Air Force. In December 2011, he was promoted to Commander of the Lanzhou Military Region Air Force and Deputy Commander of the Lanzhou MR. In July 2013, he was transferred to the Beijing Military Region to serve as its air force commander and deputy MR commander.[2]

When Central Military Commission chairman Xi Jinping reorganized the military in January 2016, Zhuang was appointed the inaugural commander of the Central Theater Command Air Force, and Liu Shaoliang became the first political commissar.[1] After reaching the age of 63, Zhuang was replaced by Lt. Gen. Han Shengyan (韩胜延) as commander in December 2018.[4]

Zhuang attained the rank of major general in July 2002 and lieutenant general in July 2013. He was a member of the 12th National People's Congress.[2]

References
  1. Yue Huairang 岳怀让 (2016-02-06). "庄可柱出任中部战区空军司令员，刘绍亮任政委". The Paper. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  2. "Zhuang Kezhu" (in Chinese). National Chengchi University. 4 August 2015.
  3. You Ji (2012). "Meeting the Challenge of the Upcoming PLAAF Leadership Reshuffle". The Chinese Air Force: Evolving Concepts, Roles, and Capabilities (PDF). National Defense University Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-16-091386-0.
  4. Yue Huairang (2018-12-02). "中部战区空军司令员换将：韩胜延接替庄可柱". The Paper. Retrieved 2018-12-03.

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