Shenyang Military Region

Shenyang Military Region
Shenyang Military Region (highlighted)
Simplified Chinese	沈阳军区
Traditional Chinese	瀋陽軍區
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shěnyáng Jūnqū

The Shenyang Military Region was one of seven military regions for the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It has command and control of military and armed police forces in the three northeast provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning, which also form Military Districts. This region is now superseded by the Northern Theater Command.

The Shenyang Military Region was left with unchanged boundaries since the late 1960s. It is bordered internally by the Beijing Military Region to the west. Externally, it is bordered by North Korea to the south east and the Russian Far East to the north.

Prior to the Cultural Revolution, military region commanders tended to remain in post for long periods. As the PLA took a stronger role in politics, this began to be seen as something of a threat to party (or, at least, civilian) control of the military. Two commanders served for long periods in the Shenyang MR, Chen Xilian, from 1959–73, and Li Desheng from 1974-85.

As of 15 March 1967, the Central Intelligence Agency identified eight armies in the Shenyang MR. The CIA identified the 16th Army, 23rd Army, the 38th, 39th Army, 40th Army, 46th, 50th, and 64th Armies. However the 38th Army is now assigned to the Beijing Military Region.