Xu Yaoyuan (Chinese: 许耀元; born December 1952) is a retired general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

He served as Political Commissar of the PLA Academy of Military Science and was a member of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Xu was born in Wujiang County, Jiangsu in December 1952.

In 2010 he attained the rank of lieutenant general, and became Political Commissar of the People's Armed Police.

[1] In December 2014, Xu replaced General Sun Sijing as Political Commissar of the PLA Academy of Military Science.