Li Yuchao Explained

Office1:Commander of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
Term Start1:January 2022
Term End1:July 2023
Predecessor1:Zhou Yaning
Successor1:Wang Houbin
Office2:Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
Term Start2:April 2020
Term End2:January 2022
Successor2:Sun Jinming
Li Yuchao
Native Name:李玉超
Native Name Lang:zh
Birth Place:Sui County, Henan, China
Party:Chinese Communist Party (expelled in 2024)
Alma Mater:PLA National Defence University
Branch: People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
Serviceyears:1980–2023
Rank: General
Succeeded1:Wang Houbin

Li Yuchao (; born November 1962) is a general (shangjiang) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who served as the commander of People's Liberation Army Rocket Force between January 2022 and July 2023.

Li was an alternate member of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and a member of the 20th Central Committee.[1] He placed under investigation by the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Military Commission in July 2023, and expelled from the CCP in July 2024.

Biography

Li was born in Sui County, Henan, in November 1962 and joined the PLA in December 1980. He graduated from the PLA National Defence University. He served in the Second Artillery Corps for a long time. He led his troops participate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 2009 and the 2015 China Victory Day Parade in 2015, respectively.[1] He was commander of the 53rd Base from March 2015 to July 2016, the 55th Base from July 2016 to March 2017, and the 63rd Base from March 2017 to April 2020.[2] He was assigned chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force in April 2020, and rose to become commander in January 2022.

He was promoted to the rank of major general (shaojiang) in July 2013, lieutenant general (zhongjiang) in April 2020 and general (shangjiang) in January 2022.[3]

In July 2023 the South China Morning Post reported that Li was under the investigation of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Military Commission. Later that month, Li was officially removed from his post as commander, being succeeded by Wang Houbin.[4] On 29 December 2023, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) announced Li was removed as a delegate to the NPC due to "serious violation of discipline and law".[5] [6] In July 2024, the CCP Central Committee confirmed the decision to expel Li during a plenary session.[7]

References

Notes and References

  1. News: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_2353056 . zh:候补中委李玉超履新96603部队,曾两度率部参加阅兵 . . 17 August 2018 . 22 January 2022 . zh-hans. 岳怀让.
  2. News: Wang Jun (Chinese: 王俊). https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1317685 . zh:“导弹劲旅”、第二炮兵第53基地政委、司令员陆续换防 . The Paper . 3 April 2015 . 22 January 2022 . zh.
  3. News: Mei Changwei (Chinese: 梅常伟) . http://www.news.cn/politics/leaders/2022-01/21/c_1128288122.htm . zh:中央军委举行晋升上将军衔警衔仪式 习近平颁发命令状并向晋衔的军官警官表示祝贺 . news.cn . 21 January 2022 . 21 January 2022 . zh . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121131533/http://www.news.cn/politics/leaders/2022-01/21/c_1128288122.htm . 21 January 2022 . bot: unknown .
  4. News: Chan . Minnie . 31 July 2023 . China names General Wang Houbin as new PLA Rocket Force chief after former commanders snared in corruption scandal . . 31 July 2023.
  5. News: 29 December 2023 . China Ousts Nine Military Lawmakers as Defense Purge Widens . 18 July 2024 . Bloomberg News.
  6. Web site: 中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会常务委员会公报(2024年第一号). National People's Congress. 235, 236. https://web.archive.org/web/20240202103452/http://www.npc.gov.cn/wxzlhgb/c27214/gb2024/202402/P020240202330064224451.pdf. 2024-02-02. zh-Hans.
  7. News: 18 July 2024 . China Ousts Ex-Foreign Minister Qin Gang From Central Committee . 18 July 2024 . Bloomberg News.