78th Group Army

The 78th Group Army, Unit 31669, formerly the 16th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 78th Group Army is one of thirteen total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in the People's Republic of China, and one of three assigned to the nation's Northern Theater Command.

History
The origins of this army go back to Nanchang Uprising. After People's Republic of China was established, it belonged to the 62nd Group Army for a while.

On February 19, 1949, column 1 of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region in Henan Shenqiu area became the 16th Army of the People's Liberation Army, was placed under the 5th Corps of the PLA Second Field Army. Yin Xianbing (尹先炳) was appointed army commander.

Organization
It was composed of the 69th, 46th, 48th, and 4th Armored Divisions, the 68th brigade and an artillery brigade.

In 2006 the formation consisted of the: (Source Blasko 2006, 76)
 * Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
 * 46th Motorized Infantry Division, Changchun, Jilin
 * 48th Motorized Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
 * 4th Armored Division, Meihekou, Jilin
 * Artillery Brigade, Yantian, Jilin
 * AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

In 2013, the formation consisted of the: Note Blasko 2013, lists the 4th Armored Division as a division, not as a brigade.
 * Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
 * 46th Motorized Infantry Division (the Red Army Division), Changchun, Jilin
 * 69th Motorized Infantry Division, Harbin, Heilongjiang
 * 48th Motorized Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
 * 68th Motorized Infantry Brigade (People's Republic of China), Qiqihar, Heilongjiang
 * 4th Armored Division, Meihekou, Jilin
 * Artillery Brigade, Yanbian, Jilin
 * AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

(Source Blasko, Tradition and Transformation of the PLA, 2013, 89)

In 2017, the formation consisted of the:
 * Headquarters, Harbin, Heilongjiang
 * 8th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade
 * 48th Light Combined Arms Brigade
 * 68th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade
 * 115th Medium Combined Arms Brigade
 * 202nd Heavy Combined Arms Brigade
 * 204th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade
 * 78th Special Operation Brigade (formerly the 67th Brigade)
 * 78th Army Aviation Brigade
 * 78th Artillery Brigade
 * 78th Air-Defense Brigade
 * 78th Engineering and Chemical Defense Brigade
 * 78th Service Support Brigade

Notable members
General Xu Caihou, former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) who was detained as part of a high-profile anti-corruption campaign, was a former member of the 78th Group Army.