Xing was born in September 1938^[1] in Licheng, Shandong, Republic of China.^[2] He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1953 and graduated from the PLA Nanjing Engineering Institute in 1956. He joined the Chinese Communist Party the following year.^[2] He was a classmate of Li Xinliang, who later served as commander of the Beijing Military Region.^[3]

Xing had a military career spanning 50 years.^[2] He served as an engineering officer and a regimental commander in the Guangzhou Military Region. He was considered a protege of General Zhang Wannian, and was also connected to General Fu Quanyou.^[3] He fought in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, and was promoted to division commander for his performance in the war.^[3] He was later promoted to corps commander.^[2]

He served as Chief of Staff of the Lanzhou Military Region from 1985 to 1988, and was awarded the rank of major general in 1988.^[2] After 1988 he served as deputy commander of the Lanzhou MR, and attained the rank of lieutenant general in 1993. From 1995 to 2002 he served as president of the PLA National Defence University,^[2] an important position given the university's role in training top PLA officers.^[3] He was promoted to full general in March 1998.^[1]

Xing was elected to the 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, serving from 1997 to 2002.^[2] He was also a delegate to the 7th, 8th, and 10th National People's Congresses.^[1]

Xing died in Beijing on 11 March 2019, at the age of 80.^[1]

View on the China threat theory

In 1996, Xing published an article in the Communist Party journal Qiushi, entitled "Put an end to the China threat theory".^[4] He argued that the idea of a rising power threatening the existing order maintained by an established power is rooted in Western imperialism. This logic is imposed on China by the West, whose imperialism is the real cause of instability in the world. He further argued that since the United States maintains a large network of military bases far from its homeland and tries to impose its own values on other nations, it has been and will continue to be a cause of conflicts in the world.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Yue, Huairang (12 March 2019). "国防大学原校长邢世忠上将逝世，享年82岁". The Paper. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Biography of Xing Shizhong". China Vitae. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lilley, James; Shambaugh, David L. (2016). China's Military Faces the Future. Taylor & Francis. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-1-315-50103-1.
^ Storey, Ian; Yee, Herbert (2004). The China Threat: Perceptions, Myths and Reality. Routledge. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-135-78647-2.
^ Zheng, Yongnian (1999). Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China: Modernization, Identity, and International Relations. Cambridge University Press. pp. 109. ISBN 978-0-521-64590-4.

Military offices Preceded byShi Guiting [zh] Chief of Staff of the Lanzhou Military Region 1985–1988 Succeeded byGuo Fuzhou [zh] Preceded byZhu Dunfa President of the PLA National Defence University 1995–2002 Succeeded byPei Huailiang

v t e Presidents of the PLA National Defence University
Zhang Zhen Zhu Dunfa Xing Shizhong Pei Huailiang Ma Xiaotian Wang Xibin Song Puxuan Zhang Shibo Zheng He

v t e Officers of the Lanzhou Military Region
Commanders	He Long Peng Dehuai Zhang Dazhi Pi Dingjun Han Xianchu Du Yide Zheng Weishan Zhao Xianshun Fu Quanyou Wang Ke Liu Jingsong Guo Boxiong Li Qianyuan Wang Guosheng Liu Yuejun
Political Commissars	Xi Zhongxun Xian Huanhan Liu Lantao Li Ruishan Xiao Hua Song Ping Tan Youlin Li Xuanhua Cao Pengsheng Wen Zongren Liu Dongdong Liu Yongzhi Yu Linxiang Li Changcai Miao Hua Liu Lei
Chiefs of Staff	Zhang Jingwu Yan Kuiyao Peng Shaohui Li Shumao Gao Rui Ma Youli Wang De Liu Guangfu Qian Xihou Shi Guiting Xing Shizhong Guo Fuzhou Chi Yunxiu Qian Shugen Li Qianyuan Qu Fanghuan Chang Wanquan Wang Guosheng Liu Yuejun He Qingcheng