North Sea Fleet
Yuan has spent his entire military career up to 2017 in the North Sea Fleet. He served at the Qingdao Submarine Base after graduation from the submarine academy, rising to submarine captain by 1990. He was then promoted to chief of staff of the submarine base in 2004, and commander in 2007. He attained the rank of rear admiral in July 2008. He was appointed chief of staff of the North Sea Fleet in 2010, and deputy commander in 2013.