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Key Takeaways:

  • On 5 November 2025, the aircraft carrier Fujian (福建舰) was commissioned into People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy (PLAN) service. One man was notably absent on this auspicious day—the PLAN Commander himself, Admiral (ADM) Hu Zhongming (胡中明), the leader CMSI profiled in CMSI Note 1.5 Instead, Vice Admiral (VADM) Cui Yuzhong (崔玉忠) was one of the PLAN’s senior representatives attending the ceremony. Cui’s high-profile appearance on the PLAN’s red-letter day may portend that Cui is slated to assume the highest PLAN billet.
  • A career naval aviator and seasoned operational officer, VADM Cui’s expertise and record aligns well with the PLAN’s growing emphasis on carrier aviation. He received a well-rounded education across four PLA academic institutions and served in leadership billets in North Sea Fleet Aviation, East Sea Fleet Aviation, East Sea Fleet, Eastern Theater Command, and PLAN headquarters.
  • VADM Cui’s steady political climb suggests that he built and earned political trust among the highest authorities, as he was elected as a National People’s Congress delegate, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – Central Committee (CC) Alternate Member, and member of Jiang Zemin’s (江泽民) Funeral Committee.
  • VADM Cui’s interactions with the now-removed Central Military Commission (CMC) Political Work Department Director Admiral Miao Hua (苗华) and PLAN Political Commissar Admiral Yuan Huazhi (袁华智) may complicate his future career aspirations.

Publication Date

2-25-2026

Publisher

China Maritime Studies Institute, U.S Naval War College

City

Newport, Rhode Island

Keywords

China Maritime Studies Institute, CMSI, Chinese Navy, PLAN, Cui

CMSI Note 20: Flying Higher and Higher: VADM Cui Yuzhong - Moving Up in Complex Times

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