Within less than three months, news of the downfall of Huang Ming, the commander of the Northern Theater Command of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has surfaced once again.
According to a report by the Liaoning Daily, on August 1, the “August 1” military and political symposium of Liaoning Province was held in Shenyang.
The report stated that “the main leaders of the Northern Theater Command attended and delivered speeches,” with Zheng Xuan, the political commissar of the Northern Theater Command, representing the party committee and troops stationed in Liaoning, “expressing sincere thanks and high respect to the party committees, governments, and the people of all levels in Liaoning.” The report did not mention the commander of the Northern Theater Command, Huang Ming, throughout.
Rumors had circulated online in May this year that Huang Ming had been suspended from duty or encountered a mishap leading to arrest. The Liaoning Daily’s report, without mentioning Huang Ming, deepened speculations outside regarding his downfall.
On August 2 last year, the official WeChat account of the Liaoning Daily reported that on July 31, the “August 1” military and political symposium of Liaoning Province was held in Shenyang, with the attendance and speech by Hao Peng, the Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee. Commander Huang Ming of the Northern Theater Command also attended.
This confirmation from the external sources indicated that Huang Ming had been transferred from the commander of the Central Theater Command to the commander of the Northern Theater Command. This was his first public appearance in this new capacity.
Public records show that Huang Ming, born in April 1963 in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, is a member of the 20th Central Committee. He has held various positions in different mechanized divisions of the former Shenyang Military Region and several group armies spanning from the north to the south, including positions as division commander, chief of staff, and commander.
In July 2014, Huang Ming was promoted to the rank of Major General, and in 2019, he became the deputy commander of the army, and by the end of that year, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. In January 2023, Huang Ming made his first public appearance as the commander of the Central Theater Command and was promoted to the rank of General.