Wei Fenghe

Wei Fenghe
魏凤和
Wei in 2018
State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China
In office
19 March 2018 – 11 March 2023
PremierLi Keqiang
Preceded byChang Wanquan
Succeeded byLi Shangfu
12th Minister of National Defense
In office
19 March 2018 – 12 March 2023
PremierLi Keqiang
CMC ChairmanXi Jinping
Preceded byChang Wanquan
Succeeded byLi Shangfu
Commander of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
In office
October 2012 – September 2017
Preceded byJing Zhiyuan (as Commander of the Second Artillery Corps)
Succeeded byZhou Yaning
Personal details
BornFebruary 1954 (age 70)
Liaocheng, Shandong, China
Political partyChinese Communist Party (1972–2024; expelled)
AwardsNishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)[1]
Military service
Allegiance China
Branch/service PLA Rocket Force
Years of service1970–2023
Rank General
(stripped in 2024)
UnitCentral Military Commission
State Council
CommandsMinistry of National Defense (2018–2023)
PLA Rocket Force (2015–2017)
PLA Second Artillery Corps (2012–2015)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWèi Fènghé

Wei Fenghe (Chinese: 魏凤和; pinyin: Wèi Fènghé; born February 1954) is a retired general (shang jiang) in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who served as commander of the PLA Rocket Force, formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps. From 2018 to 2023, he was the Minister of National Defense, the first to have not come from the PLA Ground Forces and the first-ranked State Councilor from March 2018 to March 2023, and also the first-ranked ordinary Member of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

In September 2023, Wei was investigated by the CMC's disciplinary inspection department for charges of corruption. In June 2024, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and transferred his case to the military's judiciary for criminal prosecution, and his rank of General in the Rocket Force revoked.

  1. ^ "Alvi confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military on Chinese defence minister". Daily Times. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2022-04-12.