Lt General Qiao Xianji was identified on June 28 as the new Deputy Commander of the PLA Western Theatre Command. He was attending the inauguration ceremony of the new Terminal at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Also present was Lt General Wang Qiang, Deputy Commander of the Western Theatre Command and Commander of the Western Theatre Command Air Force. Prior to this Lt General Qiao Xianji was posted in the PLA Northern Theatre Command.

(Comment: Lt. General Qiao Xianji was born in February 1963 and is 58 years old. He is from Hebei. He joined the PLAAF in July 1979 and is a trained pilot. Qiao Xiangji was named a 'model leader of the division commander' by the Air Force in 2011, and was commended by the Air Force as a 'leading cadre of the Integrity and Service Division' in 2012. He has participated in many exercises organised by the PLA, the headquarters and the Air Force. He has been trained in the battle command class of the Air Force Command Academy and the advanced training class of the Russian Air Force Military Academy. During the 'Big Two' sessions in 2016, Qiao Xiangji wrote an article on "Building a "Great Wall in the Sky" and Defending Enemies Thousands of Miles Away".)