Assessment of PLA Leaders at the End of 2024

Kenneth Allen

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This article identifies all the key People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leaders at the end of 2024. It also discusses recent changes to the makeup of that leadership, including those that have resulted from corruption investigations as well as surveying changes that are likely to take place by the 21st Chinese Communist Paty (CCP) National Congress, set to take place in late 2027. Retirement age norms have varied throughout the history of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and there are always exceptions. Currently, it appears that the norm is that the central military commission (CMC) vice chairmen can remain on active duty until they are 70 years old but that all other senior leaders, including CMC members, service commanders, and theater command commanders must retire at age 65. However, there are always exceptions that allow them to remain in their billet after they have met their mandatory age requirement.

The senior leadership will look completely different than it is today by 2029 as a result. After 2027, only one of the two CMC vice chairmen will remain in position along with a new director of the CMC Political Work Department, while nine of the current leaders will retire at or before the 21st Party Congress and 11 other leaders, who will be 63 or 64 years old, will most likely retire within one or two years of the congress. Of note, each service and theater command have their own party congress, which normally takes place two years after the National Party Congress. However, leadership changes normally take place at the national congresses (CASI, April 12, 2021). The key billets that are addressed in this article include:

• The two vice chairmen and three members of the CCP and state central military commissions (CMC), including the chief of the Joint Staff Department, the director of the Political Work Department, and the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission.
• The commanders and political commissars for the four services—the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force.
• The commanders and political commissars of the five theater commands—Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central.