In a tragic turn of events, Rear Admiral Chen Xianfeng, former political commissar of the North Sea Fleet of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, passed away on July 22, 2026. This marks the loss of at least four rear admirals and four commodores in the Chinese Navy within a span of less than seven months, including Rear Admiral Wang Zheng, who was 64 years old.
According to a report by The Paper on July 25, 2026, Rear Admiral Chen Xianfeng of the Chinese Navy and former political commissar of the North Sea Fleet passed away in Qingdao on July 22, 2026, at the age of 85.
Public records indicate that Chen Xianfeng, born in 1940 in Lijin County, Dongying City, Shandong Province, was a middle school graduate and a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He had held various positions in the navy such as political commissar of a destroyer flotilla in the North Sea Fleet, deputy director of the Political Department of the East Sea Fleet, deputy director of the Navy Political Department, and political commissar of the North Sea Fleet. He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in 2000.
It has been publicly reported that at least three other rear admirals in the Chinese Navy have passed away so far in 2026.
Rear Admiral Wang Yongguo, a retired cadre of the Navy and former Deputy Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region as well as Commander of the South Sea Fleet, succumbed to illness and passed away in Guangzhou on May 7, 2026, at the age of 87.
Born in November 1938 in Rongcheng, Weihai City, Shandong Province, Wang Yongguo had served in various roles including commander of the Navy Fujian Base and Zhoushan Base, Deputy Commander of the East Sea Fleet, Deputy Commander of the North Sea Fleet. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1988 and to vice admiral in 1996.
Rear Admiral Bi Huiyi, another retired cadre of the Chinese Navy and former Director of the Navy Political Department, passed away in Shanghai on March 10, 2026, at the age of 85 due to illness.
Born in August 1941 in Zouping, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, Bi Huiyi had served as political commissar of the Navy Zhoushan Base and deputy director of the Navy Political Department. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1993 and to vice admiral in 2001.
Rear Admiral Wang Zheng, a member of the Chinese Communist Party and former Deputy Political Commissar of the Navy, passed away in Beijing on January 3, 2026, at the age of 64 due to unsuccessful medical treatment.
Born in 1961 in Jingxian County, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, Wang Zheng had held positions such as political commissar of the Air Force Research Institute, director of the Air Force Political Department of the Jinan Military Region, and director of the Air Force Political Work Department of the Northern Theater Command. He was promoted to vice admiral in June 2019 and then appointed as Deputy Political Commissar of the Navy in June 2022.
Wang Zheng had been promoted by former Military Commission member Miao Hua and had worked alongside then Navy Commander Shen Jinlong, Navy Political Commissar Qin Shengxiang, and Yuan Huazhi. Miao Hua, Shen Jinlong, Qin Shengxiang, and Yuan Huazhi, all four senior navy officers, have since been removed from their positions.
Additionally, incomplete records indicate that at least four commodores in the Chinese Navy have also passed away so far in 2026.
Commodore Guo Xichun, former Political Commissar of the Navy Logistics Department, passed away in Beijing on April 3, 2026, at the age of 83. Guo Xichun was born in Changli, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei in July 1942 and had served as the political commissar of the Naval Command College.
Commodore Qian Jianjun, former Deputy Political Commissar of the North Sea Fleet of the Navy, passed away on March 29, 2026, at the age of 73. Qian Jianjun, born in Wujin, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province in August 1952, had served in various roles including Deputy Director of the Political Department of the South Sea Fleet and Deputy Political Commissar of the North Sea Fleet.
Commodore Wei Zhiguo, former Deputy Political Commissar of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy, passed away in Shanghai on January 16, 2026, at the age of 97 due to illness. Wei Zhiguo, born in Bayan, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province in October 1928, had held positions such as Deputy Political Commissar of the Guangzhou Base of the Navy.
Commodore Huang Maojiang, former Deputy Commander of the Navy Aviation Troops, passed away in Qingdao, Shandong Province on January 15, 2026, at the age of 81 due to illness. Born in Tiantai, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province in 1945, Huang Maojiang had served as the Commander of the Naval Aviation Troops of the North Sea Fleet and Commander of the Naval Aviation Troops of the East Sea Fleet.