The Tenth Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense Makes Their First Appearance

[Global Times - Global Network Report by Reporter Guo Yuandan] On the afternoon of the 16th, the newly appointed spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, Colonel Chen Xi, released information regarding recent military-related issues. This is Chen Xi's first announcement as the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense. Chen Xi is the 10th spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense and the first spokesperson to have grown from the "Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Team."

At the same time, the introduction of the spokesperson on the Ministry of National Defense's official website has also been updated. Currently, there are three spokespersons for the Ministry of National Defense: Zhang Xiaogang, Jiang Bin, and Chen Xi.

According to the introduction released on the Ministry of National Defense's website, Chen Xi was born in 1983. He was admitted to the former PLA International Relations College in 2001 and graduated with a master's degree in 2008. He has served as a staff officer and an official, and in December 2025, he was appointed as the deputy director of the News Bureau of the International Military Cooperation Office of the Central Military Commission, holding the rank of Army Colonel.

Chen Xi's joining the spokesperson team also indicates that the Ministry of National Defense has once again returned to having "three spokespersons." Previously, the Ministry of National Defense had several instances of three spokespersons serving simultaneously, with combinations including Yang Yujun, Wu Qian, and Ren Guoqiang; Wu Qian, Ren Guoqiang, and Tan Kefei; and Wu Qian, Tan Kefei, and Zhang Xiaogang.

Unlike the previous nine spokespersons, Chen Xi is the first spokesperson to have grown from the "Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Team." In 2013, Chen Xi was selected to join the News Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, becoming a member of the spokesperson team.

In September 2007, the News Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense was established; on May 18, 2008, the first spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense made their first public appearance. In the initial stage of the establishment of the Ministry of National Defense spokesperson system, press conferences were generally held during major tasks, significant actions, and the introduction of major policies. In April 2011, the routine press conference system was established, with a regular press conference held once a month. In previous interviews, former spokespersons of the Ministry of National Defense have stated that the successful holding of each press conference is a result of the collective wisdom of the spokesperson team.

"It was during this period that Chen Xi was selected to become a member of the spokesperson team," a former colleague of Chen Xi told the Global Times, noting that this was a time of rapid development for the Chinese military's news release efforts. "The spokespersons and their team members started from scratch and progressed through exploration. To hold a successful press conference, the entire team would engage in intense and very fulfilling preparations, which is also a form of rapid personal growth."

"Every member of the team, including Chen Xi, works very hard, is excellent, and is very passionate. Chen Xi's characteristics are evident: he is serious and responsible in his work, organized in every task, and adept at thinking creatively." This former colleague explained.

A media person who has participated in Ministry of National Defense press conferences for many years stated, "As the image spokesperson for 2 million PLA officers and soldiers, the Ministry of National Defense spokesperson needs to demonstrate a firm stance while being flexible, showing both composure and approachability. So far, all previous spokespersons of the Ministry of National Defense have possessed such qualities, and now with Chen Xi becoming one of them, I believe he can better showcase an open and confident military."