Fuzhou War Zone

Last updated: 4 January 2008

During a large-scale military exercise held near the Taiwan Strait in July 2000, the Chinese media first reported the existence of "Fuzhou War Zone" (Zhanqu). This was the first time that the PLA set up a temporary interregional war zone headquarters to carry out unified command and control over PLA units from different military regions and service branches.

According to the reports, about 100,000 troops took part in the joint-service exercise. They were composed of units from the Nanjing Military Region, the Guangzhou Military Region, the Nanjing Military Region Air Force, the Guangzhou Military Region Air Force, the East Sea Fleet, the South Sea Fleet, and the Second Artillery Corps. The Fuzhou Command was headed by the commander of the Nanjing Military Region, with staffs from the General Staff Department in Beijing, the two military regions, and three three service branches (air force, navy, strategic missile).

The Fuzhou Command reflects the possible organisational structure of the PLA forces in a major military campaign against Taiwan. Its troops would include, at a minimum, 3~5 group armies, an airborne corps, 2 marine brigades, 8 fighter divisions, 2 bomber divisions, an attacker division, and naval vessels from the East and South Sea Fleets. They will be supported by the 7 missile brigades of the Second Artillery Corps deployed in the Nanjing MR, and special operations forces from the other five military regions.