Liu Lei (Chinese: 刘雷; born February 1957) is a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). He has been Political Commissar of the PLA Ground Force since December 2015, and formerly served as Political Commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region and the Xinjiang Military District.
Liu Lei | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
刘雷 | |||||||
| Political Commissar of the PLA Ground Force | |||||||
| In office December 2015 – January 2022 | |||||||
| Preceded by | New position | ||||||
| Succeeded by | Qin Shutong | ||||||
| Political Commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region | |||||||
| In office December 2014 – December 2015 | |||||||
| Preceded by | Miao Hua | ||||||
| Succeeded by | Post abolished | ||||||
| Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Military District | |||||||
| In office July 2013 – December 2014 | |||||||
| Preceded by | Wang Jianmin | ||||||
| Succeeded by | Li Wei | ||||||
| Personal details | |||||||
| Born | February 1957 (age 67) Liaocheng, Shandong, China | ||||||
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party | ||||||
| Alma mater | PLA National Defence University Chinese Academy of Sciences | ||||||
| Military service | |||||||
| Allegiance |  People's Republic of China | ||||||
| Branch/service |  People's Liberation Army Ground Force | ||||||
| Years of service | 1973–2022 | ||||||
| Rank |  General | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘雷 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 劉雷 | ||||||
| |||||||
Biography
editLiu Lei was born in February 1957 in Liaocheng, Shandong province. He joined the PLA in 1973 at age 16. In the 1990s, he graduated from the joint combat commander training program of the PLA National Defence University. He also studied at the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and holds a doctoral degree.[1][2]
Liu has served in the Lanzhou Military Region for more than 40 years, including many years in the 21st Group Army. In June 2003, he became Director of the Political Department of the Nanjiang (Southern Xinjiang) Military District. He attained the rank of major general in July 2004. In January 2007, he became Political Commissar of the 21st Army. He was appointed Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Military District, which is under the Lanzhou MR, in July 2013.[1][2]
In November 2013, six days after a suicide attack on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, thought to be perpetrated by Uyghurs from Xinjiang, Commander Peng Yong of the Xinjiang MD was removed from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and replaced by Liu Lei.[3][4]
Liu attained the rank of lieutenant general (zhongjiang) in July 2014, and was promoted to Political Commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region in December 2014, replacing Miao Hua, who had been promoted to Political Commissar of the PLA Navy. Major General Li Wei succeeded Liu as Political Commissar of the Xinjiang MD.[1][2] In December 2015, he was made the inaugural Political Commissar of People's Liberation Army Ground Force. On July 28, 2017, Liu was promoted to the rank of general (shangjiang).[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Liu Lei" (in Chinese). Phoenix News Media. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ a b c 兰州军区政工将领大换血. Caixin (in Chinese). 6 January 2015.
- ^ 天安门冲撞事件后 新疆军区司令彭勇被免党职. Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 4 November 2013.
- ^ Andrew Jacobs (3 November 2013). "China Strips Army Official of Position After Attack". The New York Times.
- ^ 中部战区司令员韩卫国等5人晋升为上将 (in Chinese). Ifeng. 2017-07-28.