After 2016, China has a total of five major theaters, namely the Eastern Theater, the Western Theater, the Southern Theater, the Northern Theater and the Central Theater. With the development of the times, the former "military district" became the current "theater of operations". Well, what is the difference between a theater of operations and a military district? Now, which one is the strongest?
The evolution of the central ** area can be divided into 4 stages as a whole. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were 6 military regions; By 1985 there were 11 military districts; Beginning on June 14, 1985, the number of large military regions was adjusted from the original 11 to 7, that is, the seven military regions of Shenyang, Beijing, Jinan, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu and Guangzhou; Since February 1, 2016, there have been no "military districts" since then. Seven "military regions" were abolished, and five "theaters" were formally established, namely, the Eastern Theater, the Western Theater, the Southern Theater, the Northern Theater, and the Central Theater. Since then, the squadron has entered the "era of the war zone".
Well, what is the difference between a theater of operations and a military district? First of all, there is the difference in numbers, and the seven major military regions have been redivided into five major theaters, which will focus on training and operations, and will become a modern comprehensive force with unified command and greater efficiency. Then there are the differences in jurisdictions and areas of competence. The Eastern Theater, which is stationed in Nanjing, is mainly reorganized on the basis of the former Nanjing Military Region, with a naval base and jurisdiction over Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Anhui, mainly dealing with issues in the direction of the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The Central Theater is stationed in Beijing, and its jurisdiction includes Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, etc., and its primary task is to safeguard the security of the capital Beijing. The Northern Theater is stationed in Shenyang, and its jurisdiction includes Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, etc., and mainly deals with the Korean Peninsula, Russia, and Mongolia. The Western Theater, stationed in Lanzhou, with a total area of more than half of China, was reorganized on the basis of the former Chengdu Military Region and Lanzhou Military Region, and its jurisdiction included Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, etc., mainly dealing with problems facing South Asian and Central Asian countries. The Southern Theater, based in Guangzhou, was reorganized from the original Guangzhou Military Region and has a naval base under its jurisdiction, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, and Hubei, and is mainly dealing with issues in the South China Sea and Southeast Asian countries.
So which of the five major theaters is the strongest? In terms of military strength, the Eastern Theater certainly deserves to be the first in the name. Because the eastern part of China's territory is the key area where war and large-scale conflicts are most likely to break out, the eastern theater is tasked with the dual task of accomplishing national reunification and counterattacking the intervening forces. At the same time, the Eastern Theater has three units under its jurisdiction: land, navy, and air force. The Army of the Eastern Theater of Operations has 3 group armies under its jurisdiction, including the 73rd Group Army. The strength of the army accounts for a quarter of the total strength of the PLA army. The naval strength of the Eastern Theater accounts for one-third of the PLA Navy, and the East China Sea Fleet alone has more than 100 advanced large-scale ships. The combat strength of the Air Force in the Eastern Theater accounts for one-third of the PLA Air Force. Because the Eastern Theater is facing the Pacific Ocean, it may have the greatest military threat to deal with, so it has a large number of advanced equipment, and at the same time, the Eastern Theater has the most frequent combat readiness duties, coordinated exercises, and military exercises, and the heaviest tasks, and is the strongest among the five theaters.