The Guangzhou Military Region (MR), or Guangzhou Military Area Command (MAC), is headquartered in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. Its area of responsibilities (AOR) covers Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Hainan Province, as well as the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions (SAR). The military region is responsible for the defence of Southern China and the maritime territories in the South China Sea. In its AOR lies China’s leading economic zone and major manufacturing centre—the Pearl River Delta.
With its southern coastline adjoins the Taiwan Strait to the east, the Guangzhou MR is a front-line region in the event of a conflict with Taiwan. Another potential ‘hotspot’ the military region faces is the South China Sea, where the PRC has disputes over the Spratly (Nansha) and Paracel (Xisha) Islands with several Southeast Asian countries. As a result, the Guangzhou MR has seen its air and naval forces constantly strengthened over the past two decades.
The Guangzhou MR has two group armies (41st and 42nd) stationed within its territory. The 124th Amphibious Mechanised Infantry Division of the 42nd GA is specially equipped and trained for amphibious assault operations. Additionally, the ground forces of the military region also include the 15th Airborne Corps of the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), and two combined-arms marine brigades of the PLA Navy. There are also five provisional military districts: Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Hainan.
In time of war, the Guangzhou MR will form the “Guangzhou War Zone” to carry out unified command and control over all air, naval, ground and missile units stationed in its territory. In a major military conflict with Taiwan, the Guangzhou War Zone is likely to be responsible for an offensive operation against the island from the south, using its air power, airborne forces, and amphibious assault forces. The South Sea Fleet will be responsible for the blockade of southern Taiwan ports.
