Yu Zhongfu

Yu Zhongfu (Chinese: 于忠福; born July 1956) is a general of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China. Having served in the PLAAF for more than 40 years, he was appointed Political Commissar of the PLAAF in July 2015.

Air Force General Yu Zhongfu
于忠福
13th Political Commissar of the PLA Air Force
Incumbent
Assumed office July 2015
Preceded by	Tian Xiusi
Personal details
Born	July 1956 (age 64) Laiyang, Shandong, China
Political party	Communist Party of China
Alma mater	Central China Normal University Central Party School
Military service
Allegiance	China
Branch/service	People's Liberation Army Air Force
Years of service	1974 – present
Rank	Air Force General

Biography

Yu Zhongfu was born in July 1956 in Laiyang, Shandong Province. He joined the People's Liberation Army in 1974, initially serving in the Wuhan Military Region. He is a graduate of Central China Normal University and the Central Party School, and holds a master's degree.[1]

Yu has served in the PLAAF for more than 40 years, and successively held the positions of political commissar of the 19th and then 24th Air Force divisions, and deputy director of the political department of the Nanjing Military Region.[2]

When Xi Jinping was in charge of Shanghai as the municipality's Communist Party chief in 2007, Yu served as political commissar of the Air Force Shanghai Command.[3] He then worked as director of the political department of the Lanzhou Military Region Air Force, and deputy director of the political department of the PLAAF.[2]

After Xi Jinping became the top leader of China in 2012, Yu Zhongfu changed his leadership positions three times within three years.[3] In November 2012, he was appointed political commissar of the Jinan Military Region Air Force as well as deputy political commissar of the Jinan MR.[2] In July 2014, he became political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region Air Force and deputy political commissar of the Nanjing MR, succeeding Lieutenant General Song Kun, who had been promoted to deputy political commissar of the PLAAF. Yu attained the rank of lieutenant general (zhong jiang) soon afterwards.[4][5]

In July 2015, Yu replaced the retiring general Tian Xiusi as the 13th political commissar of the PLA Air Force, and became the superior of his predecessor Song Kun.[4][5] On July 28, 2017, he was promoted to the rank of General.[6]

Personal

Yu Zhongfu is also a writer and calligrapher. Several of his articles have won military research awards, and he has been called the "calligrapher of the armed forces".[5]

References

1. "Yu Zhongfu" (in Chinese). Phoenix New Media. July 7, 2015.
2. 三大军区空军主官入京 于忠福任空军政委. Ta Kung Pao (in Chinese). July 8, 2015.
3. Cheng Li (August 2015). "Promoting "Young Guards": The Recent High Turnover in the PLA Leadership (Part I: Purges and Reshuffles)" (PDF). China Leadership Monitor (48): 8.
4. Bo Zhiyue (July 15, 2015). "The Rise of China's Nanjing Military Region". The Diplomat.
5. 2015夏季将领调整 于忠福升任空军政委. Caixin (in Chinese). July 7, 2015.
6. "中部战区司令员韩卫国等5人晋升为上将" (in Chinese). Ifeng. July 28, 2017.