People's Liberation Army generals

Zhao Keshi

2008-09-09T08:01:00.005-07:00

Zhao Keshi is a in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He is originally from Gaoyang County in Hebei province. He is the current head of the Nanjing Military Region.

Biography

Zhao joined the army in 1968. He has held several positions, including the head of training for the Nanjing Military Region, the chief adviser for the 31st regiment, and the deputy adviser for the Nanjing Military Region. He became the leader of the 31st regiment of the army in 2000. In June of 2004, he became the chief advisor for the Nanjing Military Region. He was elevated to his present rank of lieutenant general the next year, and took up his current post as head of the Nanjing Military Region in 2007. He is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Zhao Nanqi

2008-09-09T08:01:00.003-07:00

Zhao Nanqi is a notable military and political figure in modern China. Of Korean ethnicity, he was born in 1926 in Jilin Province. Zhao Nanqi was a former director and party secretary of the PLA from 1987 until 1992.

Zhao was ranked three star general in 1988. He was also named president of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences from 1992 to 1995.

Politically, Zhao was a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th CPC Central Committees. He was named vice-chairman of the Nationalities Committee of the 5th NPC and vice-chairman of the 9th CPPCC National Committee.

Zhao is the father of Chinese composer, Zhao Ying.

Zhao Erlu

2008-09-09T08:01:00.001-07:00

Zhao Erlu was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Zhao was born in Chunxian in the Shanxi Province.

He participated in the Nanchang Uprising in 1927, and joined the Communist Party of China that year.

He was the commander of the Hebei-Shanxi Military Region, the political commissar of the Hebei-Shanxi army group, and the chief of staff of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. When the North China Military Region was founded in 1948, he was appointed as the chief of staff. He was the No. two chief of staff in the No. 4 Field Army.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, he was appointed as the second chief of staff of the Mid-South Military Region. He was the director of the No. 2 and No. 1 Departments of Mechanical Industry. He was appointed as the vice director of the National Economy Commission in 1960. He was also the executive vice director of the office of national defense industry in the state council, and the director of the political department of the national defense industry.

He was made a general in 1955. He died of a sudden heart attack on February 2, 1967, at the age of 62.

Zhao Shangzhi

2008-09-09T07:59:00.007-07:00

Zhao Shangzhi was born in Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, China. He participated in the "May 30 Movement movement" in 1925, and joined the Communist Party of China in the same year. In November 1925, he went to study in the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou.

After September 18, 1932 he took the charge of the CPC Manchuria military. In October 1933, he was in charge of Zhuhe anti-Japan guerrillas, and was promoted to commander of the Northeast Anti-Japan United Army in 1934.

On February 12, 1942, he was captured by Japanese military police after being attacked by an agent provocateur, and died later at the age of 34.

To memorialize him, the city of Zhuhe where he used to fight against the Japanese was renamed to Shangzhi.

Zhou Shidi

2008-09-09T07:59:00.005-07:00

Zhou Shidi is a general of the People's Liberation Army of China.

Zhou was born in Lehui County, Guangdong Province of China.

He was a first-term graduate from Whampoa Military Academy in 1924, and he joined the Communist Party of China in the same year.

At the early stage of Second Sino-Japanese War, he was the chief of staff of 120 division of the Eighth Route Army. During the Chinese Civil War, he was the commander of eighteenth army group.

He was the member of 1st to 3rd commission of national defense, a member of standing committee of the 3rd and 4th People's Political Consultative Conference, a deputy of the 1st and 4th National People's Congress, a member of standing committee of the 5th National People's Congress, and a delegate of the 7th and 8th National Congress of CPC.

He was made general in 1955.

Zhou Baozhong

2008-09-09T07:59:00.003-07:00

Zhou Baozhong was a commander of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army resisting the pacification of Manchukuo by the Empire of Japan.

Biography

Zhou Baozhong became a regimental commander and vice division commander in the National Revolutionary Army in 1926 and participated in the . In 1927 he joined the Communist Party of China and in 1929 was sent to the Soviet Union to study military affairs. After the Mukden Incident he returned to China and in December of 1931 was sent to Northeast China to lead the Communist anti-Japanese efforts. In February of 1932 he arrived in Harbin to direct the military activities of the local Communists, becoming involved with the volunteer forces defending against the Japanese. This put him at odds with the Communist party leadership.

When the first Anti-Japanese Volunteer Armies were organised, the party was completely hostile to them on the grounds that the leaders were bound to capitulate, claiming that the leaders of the volunteer armies were the paid and merely pretending to resist, giving the Japanese Army a pretext for bringing its troops up to the Soviet border. The Communists even issued an appeal for the volunteers to kill their officers and join the Communist revolution.

Some Communists acted against this policy and held senior positions in the volunteer forces. They were particularly influential in Wang Delin's National Salvation Army , where Zhou Baozhong was made a high-ranking officer. At first the Party severely criticised their conduct. However, the Communists eventually realized that their hostility to the popular movement made them almost irrelevant to the anti-Japanese cause.

The Communists raised some small forces in the Northeast, dedicated to revolution, but these were small in comparison to the volunteer armies which had been raised by their anti-Japanese and patriotic appeal. As the international Communist movement moved towards its popular front policy of 1935, it came to accept that whole-hearted support for the anti-Japanese movement and the postponement of the revolutionary goals were essential if the Chinese Communists were to be a serious political force in the face of the Japanese invasion. Abandoning revolution and promoting national salvation the Communists were able to organise their own force in the Northeast, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.

In February of 1936 Zhou was named army commander of this army, which was open to all who wanted to resist the invasion and was willing to ally with all other anti-Japanese forces, winning over some of the shanlin bands, including former NSA units, and conducted a protracted campaign which threatened the stability of Manchukuo, especially during 1936 and 1937. However the following years saw many setbacks as the Japanese anti guerrilla operations and pacification measures weakened the army.

By 1940 Zhou still waged guerilla war against the Japanese in Jilin province. However the anti guerrilla operations of the Japanese finally forced him to enter the Soviet Union in July, 1942. There he was employed training soldiers. When the Soviets invaded Manchukuo in August of 1945 he took part and was made vice commander of the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army.

After the Chinese Civil War he was made Vice chairman of Yunnan People's Government in 1949. In February 1964 he died in Beijing.

Zhou Chunquan

2008-09-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

General Zhou Chunquan is a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Zhou was born in Huang'an , Hubei Province. He joined Kuomintang in July 1926, and joined the Communist Party of China in November that year. He fought in Huangma Uprising in November 1927.

In October 1932, he was appointed as the political commissar of the tenth division of Red Fourth Army. In June 1933, he was promoted to the political commissar of Red Fourth Army. He participated the Long March in 1935. He was appointed as the director of the general political department of Red Fourth Army Group, and the political commissar of Red 31st Army.

He was the political commissar of the logistics department of Chinese People's Volunteer Army in 1951. When he returned to homeland in 1953, he was promoted to the No. 1 vice director and vice political commissar of the general logistics department of PLA.

He was made general in 1955.

Zhu Chenghu

2008-09-09T07:58:00.005-07:00

Professor Zhu Chenghu is the dean of the Defense Affairs Institute for China's National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army. He holds the rank of Major General.

Zhu is most famous for comments made at an event organized by the Better Hong Kong Foundation in July of 2005. Zhu told Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Gittings , "if the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," and that "we will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xi'an. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds ... of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."

Gittings later wrote, "Almost too stunned to respond, I offered Gen. Zhu a chance to back down -- or at least qualify the circumstances under which China would unleash its nuclear missiles against 'hundreds of, or two hundreds' of American cities. Presumably, I suggested, he was only talking about the unlikely scenario of a U.S. attack on mainland Chinese soil. No, the general replied, a nuclear response would be justified even if it was just a conventional attack on a Chinese aircraft or warship -- something very likely if Washington honored its commitment to help defend Taiwan against an invasion by Beijing. A fellow correspondent offered Gen. Zhu another escape route, reminding him that China had a longstanding policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. But the general brushed that aside as well, saying the policy could be changed and was only really intended to apply to conflicts with nonnuclear states in any case."

Beijing has had atomic bombs since 1964 and has a first and often stated ‘‘no first use’’ policy on nuclear weapons. Zhu is the first Chinese high-ranking military official in the past ten years to have said that China is likely to use nuclear weapons against the United States if the need arises. The explicitness of his remarks has gone beyond that of similar remarks made by Xiong Guangkai during the of 1996.

Zhu is one of China's better-known military analysts. During the in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the more recent and , Zhang Zhaozhong, Peng Guangqian, Luo Yuan, and Zhu often publicly discussed and analyzed the war situation at China's two major military staff colleges – the NDU and the Academy of Military Sciences. The four men were also regarded in the Western world as Chinese high-ranking military officials who had taken on a hawkish shade.

The Chinese press speculates that Zhu was transferred from the Institute for Strategic Studies , where he held a sensitive first-line position, to the second-line Department of Military Training for Foreigners , the predecessor of the Defense Affairs Institute, so that there would be less of a chance for him to express his hawkish opinions publicly. Zhu is the first Chinese general who has faced calls from the U.S. House of Representatives to be dismissed from his position.

Zhu Liangcai

2008-09-09T07:58:00.003-07:00

Zhu Liangcai was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Zhu was in Waisha Village, Rucheng County, Hunan Province. He joined the Communist Party of China in October 1927.

From 1955-1958, he was the political commissar of Beijing Military Region.

He was made a general in 1955. He was awarded first-class Eight-One medal, first-class Independence Freedom medal and first-class Liberation medal. In July 1988, he was awarded first-class Red Star Honorary Medal.

He died on 22 February 1989 in Beijing, at the age of 89.

Zhu Qi

2008-09-09T07:58:00.001-07:00

Zhu Qi, , General, Chinese People's Liberation Army. He is from Xiangyun County in Yunan, China. In August 1961 he entered the Chinese Communist Party. In January 1960 he entered the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He graduated from the Central Communist Party College with a degree in Economic Administration.

History

*From Jan. 1960 to June 1964, squad leader and company clerk
*From June 1964 to June 1965, squad leader and battalion secretary
*From June 1965 to June 1971, staff officer, operations and training section, regimental command department
*From June 1971 to October 1979, assistant chief and chief, operations and training section, division command department
*From Oct. 1979 to Oct. 1981, deputy chief of staff, division command division
*From Oct. 1981 to Jul. 1984, regiment commander
*From Jul. 1984 to Nov. 1984, division deputy commander
*From Nov. 1984 to Aug. 1985, division commander
*From Aug. 1985 to Apr. 1989, army chief of staff
*From Apr. 1989 to Jun. 1990, army deputy commander
*From Jun. 1990 to Mar. 1994, commander of the Guizhou province military area
*From Mar. 1994 to Jan. 1996, commander of army
*From Jan. 1996 to Mar. 1998, chief of staff for the Chengdu Military Region
*From Mar. 1998 to Jan. 2002, chief of staff for the Beijing Military Region.
*From Jan. 2002, commander of the Beijing Military Region.

GEN Zhu Qi was promoted to MGEN in Jul. 1990, LTGEN Jul. 1997, and GEN in Jun. 2004.
A member of the 16th National People's Congress

Yang Jingyu

2008-09-09T07:57:00.006-07:00

Yang Jingyu , was a Chinese Communist, and political commissar of the New First Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, in the guerrilla war in Manchuria against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Background

Jingyu joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in his home town in 1926, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1927. After the Autumn Harvest Uprising he organized local farmers in Queshan into a Revolutionary Armed Force unit. Later he did other underground work in Kaifeng and Luoyang.

In 1929, he was sent to northeast China, where he held the post of Communist Party of China Fushun secretary. Imprisoned by the regime of Zhang Xueliang, he was rescued during the chaos following the Mukden Incident. After the rescue from prison, he successively held the offices of Harbin district party committee secretary, municipal party committee secretary, and Manchurian Acting provincial party committee secretary of the Central Military Commission.

In 1932, he set up the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army 32nd Army as a guerrilla force, and Shixian county in Jilin province as his guerrilla base.

In September, 1933 he was appointed commander-in-chief and political commissar of the Independent Division of the First Army of the Northeastern People's Revolutionary Army. In 1934, the Independent Division became the First Army of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army, with Jingyu as commander-in-chief of the army and the Anti-Japanese United Front Army Headquarters.

In February 1936, Jingyu was appointed Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army First Army commander and political commissar, in June he was appointed Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army First Route Army commander-in-chief concurrently political commissar. Zhou Baozhong commanded the 2nd Route Army, and Li Zhaolin the 3rd Route Army. This army was open to all who wanted to resist the Japanese invasion and proclaimed its willingness to ally with all other anti-Japanese forces. This policy won over some of the shanlin bands, including former units. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident a number of Manchukuoan troops deserted to the Anti-Japanese Army.

Resistance

The Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army conducted a protracted campaign which threatened the stability of the Manchukuo regime, especially during 1936 and 1937. By the beginning of 1937 it comprised eleven corps in three armies, estimated by the Japanese to be about 20,000 men. Lacking the troops and materiel to conduct full-scale conventional warfare, the army's strategies were primarily to form pockets of resistance in occupied areas to harass the Japanese troops and undermine their attempts at administration, and to put up small attacks to divert resources from Japan's advance into China or against the Soviet Union after the border clashes of Chengkufeng and Battle of Khalkhin Gol .

Jingyu twice commanded western marches that threatened Japanese to Tieling and Fushun in Liaoning Province. From the latter half of 1938, Japan concentrated large numbers of its troops in Manchukuo with the mission of encircling Jingyu's army and placed a 10,000-yuan bounty on his head. By September 1938, the Japanese estimated that the Anti-Japanese Army was down to 10,000 men.

By 1940, the war was stalemated although Japan held most of the Manchurian coastal areas and the along the railroads, small forces of Chinese guerrillas fought doggedly on from the mountains and woodlands. The Kwantung Army then brought reinforcements into the northeast with a plan for "maintaining order and mopping up anti-Japanese elements." They cut off the to the troops of the United Front, the Chinese soldiers persevered, frequently launching attacks that compelled the enemy to divert its main force from punitive expeditions against the Chinese forces.

Last stand

With a critical lack of supplies, and closely encircled by the Japanese in January to mid-February 1940 Jingyu led more than 40 engagements in Jilin Province. He at last organized the army to disperse into small units and break out of the encirclement. It is said that his detachment of 60 people was betrayed by a staff officer to the Japanese on February 18, when Jingyu was killed along with two soldiers at his side in the Haojiang area. When the enemy cut open his stomach after his death, they found only tree bark and grass roots within, without a single grain of rice.

Zhang Qinsheng

2008-09-09T07:57:00.005-07:00

Zhang Qinsheng is a major general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current commander of PLA Guangzhou Military Region.

Zhang was born in Xiaowen, Shanxi Province. His former posts include vice director of military training department of PLA General Staff Department, director of teaching & research office of campaign of PLA National Defense University, provost of PLA National Defense University and director of battle department of PLA General Staff Department. In December 2004, he was elevated to chief of staff assistant of General Staff Department, and was promoted to vice chief of staff in December 2006. In 2007, he was appointed as commander of Guangzhou Military Region.

He attained the rank of lieutenant general in July 2006.

He is a current member of 17th Central Committee of Communist Party of China.

Zhang Youxia

2008-09-09T07:57:00.003-07:00

Zhang Youxia is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the son of general Zhang Zongxun.

Biography

Zhang was born in Beijing and his ancestors came from Yantou Village, Weinan, Shaanxi Province. He joined the PLA in 1968. In December 2005, he became the vice commander of the PLA Beijing Military Region. He was promoted to commander of the Shenyang Military Region in September 2007. He attained the rank of major general in 1997, and lieutenant general in 2007. He is currently a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Zhang Aiping

2008-09-09T07:57:00.001-07:00

Zhang Aiping was a Chinese communist military leader.

Biography

Zhang joined the Communist Party of China in 1928 after taking part in a communist-led rural uprising. He participated in the Long March and served as a field commander in the Chinese Red Army, first fighting against Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang forces, and later the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War. During World War II Zhang commanded a guerrilla band sent to rescue U.S. flight crews who crash landed in China following the led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle.

After 1949, Zhang was an important builder of the Chinese military forces. He commanded the first People's Liberation Army naval force and served as an army corps commander in the Korean War. Upon his return home he served in a series of significant military and political posts. He was made a General in 1955.

Zhang was accused of counterrevolutionary crimes and dismissed from all positions during the Cultural Revolution, when many veteran communists were attacked by inspired by Mao Zedong's vision of continuous revolution, and one of his leg was broken as a result of being struggled by Mao Zedong. He reappeared in 1973 and served as defense minister from 1982 until 1988. He served as deputy chief of the PLA general staff, vice premier, and chaired a key commission that sought to modernize the PLA.

Zhang's most famous remark known is that:''"The only thing the Cultural Revolution giving me was a cane."'''

During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Zhang Aiping openly supported the students and opposed the use of force.

Zhang Guohua

2008-09-09T07:55:00.006-07:00

Zhang Guohua was the People's Liberation Army field commander during the Sino-Indian War.

Biography

Zhang Guohua was born in Yongxin, Jiangxi in 1914. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1931.

Zhang was the Secretary of the CPC Tibet Committee from 1950 to 1952 and from 1965 to 1967, and the Governor of Sichuan from 1968 to 1972.

Zhang Haiyang

2008-09-09T07:55:00.005-07:00

Zhang Haiyang is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current political commissar of the PLA Chengdu Military Region.

His ancestors were from Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. His father is , a general and the former member of the Communist Party of China . His father-in-law is Sun Keji, a major general and former vice political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region.

Zhang is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Zhang Wannian

2008-09-09T07:55:00.003-07:00

Zhang Wannian is a general of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

General Zhang Wannian was born in Huangxian county , Shandong Province of China in August 1928.

He joined the PLA's Eighth Route Army in August 1944 and joined Chinese Communist Party in August 1945. Over decades, he has been promoted from a soldier to a general.

From 1958 to 1961, he studies in the preparatory and basic department at the Nanjing Military Academy of PLA. From 1962-1966, he was the head of 367 regiment, affiliated to 123 division of 41st Army. From 1966-1968, he was the vice director in the battle department in the headquarter of Guangzhou Military Region. From 1968-1978, he was the head of 127 division of 43rd Army. From 1978-1981, he was the vice head of 43rd Army and head of 127th Division. He was studying at PLA Military Academy from 1978-79. He led the 127th Division of the 43rd Corps during the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese border war. From 1981-82, he was the head of 43rd Corps. From 1982-85, he was the vice commander in Huhan Military Region.

From 1985-87, he was the vice commander of Guangzhou Military Region, and became the commander and vice secretary of CPC's committee there in 1987 till 1990. From 1990-92, he was the commander of Jinan Military Region, and vice secretary of CPC committee there.

In 1992, he became a member of CPC's central military commission and the director as well as the secretary of the party of the General Staff Department of PLA. In September 1995, he was elevated to vice-Chairman of the CMC , along with Chi Haotian. As expected, both were elected as the executive vice Chairmen of the CMC at the Fifteenth Party Congress in 1997. He was soon promoted to the Politburo as well as the Chinese Communist Party Secretariat. He attended the changeover ceremonies in Hong Kong in 1997 as the sole senior military representative, indicating his preeminent position in the military.

He was a deputy to CPC's 9th National Congress, and an alternative member of 12th and 13th CPC's central committee. He became a member of 14th and 15th CPC's central committee, and a politburo member and secretary of secretariat in 15th central committee.

He was awarded Third-Class Liberation Medal, and has achieved Great Honors five times. When he visited Pakistan in September 1993, he was awarded a military medal by the President.

He was promoted to lieutenant general in September 1988, and to general in June 1993. He retired in 2003.

His wife is Zhong Peizhao .

Zhang Zhen (general)

2008-09-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

Zhang Zhen was a general of the People's Liberation Army of China, and a former member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China.

Zhang was born in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. He joined Chinese Communist Youth League in April 1930, and joined Communist Party of China in July of the same year.

From 1957 - 1966, he was the vice president, and later president of PLA Nanjing Military Academy.

From 1975 - 1980, he was the vice director, and later director of PLA General Logistics Department, and a member of CPC Central Military Commission.

From 1980 - 1985, he was the vice chief of staff in PLA General Staff Department.

From 1985 - 1990, he served as the president of National Defense University.

From 1990, he became the president, political commissar and CPC chief of National Defense University.

He was an alternate member of 11th CPC central committee, and a full member of 12th CPC central committee.

Zhang Zhijian

2008-09-09T07:52:00.004-07:00

Zhang Zhijian is a militarian in the People's Republic of China. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1951. In 1992 he rose to become the Deputy Commander of the PLA in the Beijing Military Region, he also served as the Political Commissar of the PLA in the Chengdu Military Region. He became a major general in 1988, lieutenant general in 1990 and general in 1998.

Zhang Zongxun

2008-09-09T07:52:00.003-07:00

Zhang Zongxun was a general of the People's Liberation Army of China.

Zhang was born in Weinan, Sha'anxi Province in 1908. He was enrolled in Whampoa Military Academy in 1926, and joined the Communist Party of China in the same year.

He was the head of the 12th army group of Chinese Red Army, the principal of the Red Army University in Ruijin, the chief of staff of the 4th army of the Red 4th army group, the chief of staff of Red Army University, and the head of the 1st bureau of central military commission. During Second Sino-Japanese War, he was the general of 358 brigade, affiliated to 120 division of the Eighth Route Army. In 1945, he became the commander and political commissar of the Luliang military region. He later became the vice commander of Northwest Field Army, vice commander of No. one field army and vice commander of Northwest Military Region.

He was promoted to the deputy chief of staff of PLA, the director of the department of military academy and the vice-director of the department of training superintendence.

In 1971, he was appointed as the vice commander of Jinan Military Region.

In 1973, he was promoted to the director of the general logistics department of PLA, until his retirement in 1978.

He was made general in 1955.

He participated many famous battles, and was regarded as one of "Ten Anti-Japan Generals" of CPC.

Wu Shengli

2008-09-09T07:52:00.001-07:00

Wu Shengli is an admiral in the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Wu was born in Wuqiao, Hebei Province. He attained the rank of rear admiral in 1994, and vice admiral in 2003. He was appointed the commander of the PLA Navy in 2007 and was promoted to general on June 20, 2007. His former posts include chief of staff at the Fujian naval base, the president of Dalian Naval Academy, the commander of the Fujian naval base, vice commander of the East Sea Fleet, vice commander of the Guangzhou Military Region and commander of the Naval South Sea Fleet. He became deputy chief of staff of the PLA in 2004.

He is a member of the Communist Party of China and PLA . He is also a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Xiang Ying

2008-09-09T07:51:00.003-07:00

Xiang Ying was a war-time Chinese communist leader reaching the rank of political chief of staff of the New Fourth Army during World War II until his assassination by a member of his staff in 1941.

Biography

Initially a labor organizer, he went on to serve in the Communist Party of China political and military leadership during the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists. He held high office during the CCP's Jiangxi Soviet period .

In October of 1934, at the beginning of the Long March, Xiang stayed behind to fight a rearguard action that would allow the marchers to get out of the ring of surrounding Nationalist forces. The marchers, with Mao Zedong as their leader, went on to Yan'an, while Xiang remained in the Jiangxi region, coordinating guerrilla operations to harass Nationalist forces.

When the Japanese invaded in July 1937, a united front was declared between Nationalists and Communists, and Xiang's guerrillas became the nucleus of a legitimate fighting force: the New Fourth Army. This army operated behind Japanese lines, and was subject to orders coming from both the Communist leadership in Yan'an, and the Nationalist leadership, which had moved inland from Nanjing to Chongqing.

Contradictory orders from these groups led to confusion, and eventually the New Fourth Army Incident, in which Xiang was killed in an assault on the army by the Nationalist forces. He was killed by a member of his own staff, Liu Houzong, for the gold resources of the New Fourth Army. Xiang had carried the gold on his own person in the aftermath of the incident. After Liu killed Xiang and two other officers, he absconded with the gold, and surrendered to the Nationalists, who promptly accepted the gold and jailed him. He was later freed, but his fate beyond 1949 is unknown.

The incident was a result of either mistrust or disobedience, or both, between the two parties that would lead to the resumption of full-scale civil war once the Japanese began a full retreat out of China's interior in the summer of 1945, prior to their surrender later that that year. Some historians have argued that Xiang was the victim of the indecision of Mao Zedong. Mao's supporters argued that Xiang's misunderstanding of the potential threats posed by the Nationalists, along with his own ambitions, led to his demise.

Xiao Ke

2008-09-09T07:51:00.001-07:00

Xiao Ke is a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Biography

Xiao was born in Jiahe County, Hunan Province of China in 1907.

He joined the National Revolutionary Army and participated the Northern Expedition in 1926. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1927 and fought in Nanchang Uprising. He went to Jinggangshan and was recruited to the Red Fourth Army.

From 1930-1933, he was appointed as the head of the fifth division, the head of Red Eighth Army, and the head of the Red Sixth Army Group, fighting in many "Anti-Besieging" battles. In August of 1934, he led the army to the west, and merged with the Red Second Army Group led by He Long. They co-founded Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian Soviet District. In July of 1936, he was appointed as the vice commander of the Red Second Army Group. Along with the commander He Long, they were called "Xiao-He".

Since the outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War, he was appointed as the vice commander of 120 division of Eighth Route Army, vice commander of Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, and the commander of Ji-Re-Liao Military Regrion. He was made Lieutenant General in the National Revolution Army of the Republic of China.

In February, he was the vice commander of Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, and became acting commander in August, 1943.

In April 1949, he was promoted to the chief of staff in the Fourth Field Army, and led battles in Hengbao, Guangdong, Guangxi, and other places.

After the establishment of People's Republic of China, he was made the director of the military training department under central military commission. In November 1954, he was appointed as the vice director of the training superintendence department and the director of battle training department.

On September 27 1955 he was awarded general of PLA .

In 1957, he was promoted to the director of training superintendence department as well as the secretary of CPC's committee there.

From 1958, he was criticized for so-called "doctrinairism", and was deprived of all posts.

From January 1972, he became the principal of the University of Military and Politics, deputy minister of national defense, the principal of military academy and the first political commissar.

In September 1980, he was appointed as one of the vice chairmen of the Fifth National Political Consultative Conference.

Many people think he should have been made Grand General due to his past honor and experience. Instead, he was awarded general, though ranked No.1. This was probably because he used to support Zhang Guotao, who wanted to found another central communist government, and he didn't get along very well with He Long in history.

Xiao is also a notable writer. He wrote the saga novel ''Bloody Heaven'' , and he won the third prestigious Mao Dun Literature Prize. His other works include the book ''Sidelights on the Red Army of Zhu & Mao'' .

Xu Qiliang

2008-09-09T07:50:00.002-07:00

Xu Qiliang is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, a member of the of the Communist Party of China , and the current commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.

Born in Linqu County, Shandong Province, he is the son of Xu Lefu, a lieutenant general and former vice political commissar of the PLA Air Force. He entered the PLA Air Force No. 1 aeronautic preparatory school, learned piloting, and joined the Communist Party of China the following year. Later he transferred to the Air Force No. 8 and No. 5 aeronautic schools. He became a pilot after graduation in August 1969.

Xu was promoted to head of the military division in 1983, and vice army corps commander the next year. In 1985, he became chief of staff at the Air Force Shanghai headquarters, and also entered the PLA National Defense University for training. He was promoted to corps commander of the PLA Air Force in 1991 and was made a major general. In 1993, he became vice chief of staff of the Air Force and studied at the National Defense University again. After graduation, he was promoted to chief of staff of the PLA Air Force. He was made a lieutenant general in 1996.

In 1999, Xu became the vice commander and Air Force commander of the Shenyang Military Region, and studied at the National Defense University for the 3rd time in 2001. He was elevated to vice chief of staff of the PLA General Staff Department. He was made a full general on June 20, 2007, and became the commander of the PLA Air Force in September of that year.

He has been an alternate member of the and , and a full member of the and Central Committees.

Xu Shiyou

2008-09-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

Xu Shiyou was a general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Born in Hubei, Xu grew up studying martial arts at the Shaolin Temple for eight years and he later became a soldier in Wu Peifu's warlord army. After having served as a lieutenant in the Kuomintang army, he joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1927.

Early Career

Xu first emerged in the annals of Chinese military history in Hubei in 1927, as part of a nascent military unit that included future generals Qin Jiwei and Chen Zaidao. In 1932, he commanded the 34th Regiment, 12th Division of the Fourth Front Army led by future Marshall Xu Xiangqian. His deputy in the 25th Division, 9th Corps in 1933-36, Chen Xilian, later rose to politburo standing during the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution. By the age of 29, Xu Shiyou commanded the Red 9th Corps of the Fourth Front Army.

Eight months after the First Front Army abandon the Jiangxi Soviet and embarked on the Long March, it met up with Zhang Guotao’s Fourth Front Army, in June 1935 at Maogong, Sichuan. Zhang favored consolidating power in Sichuan whereas Mao Zedong wanted to continue on to Gansu and Ningxia, to receive aid from the Soviet Union. The compromise decision was to convene a conference, in July at Mao’ergai. Despite support from Liu Bocheng, Zhu De and other commanders, Mao would not be convinced. As a result, the Fourth Front Army was divided into a Left Column under Liu, Zhu and Zhang; and a Right Column under Xu Xiangqian. Xu Shiyou at the time commanded a cavalry regiment.

The Second Front Army, under He Long and Ren Bishi, and Xiao Ke’s Sixth Front Army linked up with the Fourth Front Army in June 1936. Again dividing their forces, He Long took the Second on a northward line toward Gansu while Zhang led his forces somewhat west of that line. The result was that Zhang’s Fourth Front Army was battered by Nationalist and warlord troops, and arrived in Yenan in poor shape in October 1936. Zhang was forced to submit to Mao’s leadership.

In the first half of 1937, just prior to the formal beginning of the Sino-Japanese War, the purge of Zhang Guotao and his closest officers sparked turmoil within the party. Cadets of the Fourth Front Army studying at the Anti-Japanese University , including Xu, confronted the party leadership over accusations that Zhang was disloyal.

In 1939, Xu Xiangqian led elements of the 129th Division – including Xu Shiyou and Han Xianchu – into western Shandong to recruit new soldiers. Xu Shiyou went on to serve as deputy commander of the 385th Brigade, 129th Division in eastern Shandong and expanded his forces into the 11th Army of Marshall Chen Yi’s Third Field Army. One of his key deputies during the war was Nie Fengzhi, who would later command the Chinese People’s Volunteers Air Force during the Korean War. Xu remainded in Shandong until 1954. In the fall of 1947, Xu commanded the East Front Army Corps of Chen Yi’s East China Field Army ; his political commissar, Tan Zhenlin, was one of the most powerful figures in East China. They took Jinan in September 1948.

Regional Power

At the end of the war, Xu’s forces found themselves in Shanghai, and he became a member of the East China Military and Administrative Committee under Chen Yi and Su Yu. As the Korean War unfolded, he moved into Shandong , to confront what was thought to be the risk of an American landing on Chinese soil. In Shandong, he worked closely with Gu Mu and Kang Sheng. Although Xu did not serve in Korea, his units did. In 1959, his 12th and 60th Corps returned from Korea to the Nanjing Military Region where they provided the power base he would enjoy well into the 1970s.

Xu served as Commander of the Nanjing Military Region , first under East China Military and Administrative Committee chairman Rao Shushi, and then for ten years with
Gang of Four member Zhang Chunqiao as his political commissar . This assignment was the single longest tenure of any MR commander on record. Among his deputies during the 1960s were future regional leaders Sung Shilun, Wang Bicheng and Tan Qilong, As the armed forces were called in to restore administrative control, he became Chairman of the Jiangsu Province Revolutionary Committee and CCP First Secretary . In the long-delayed military region reshuffle initiated under Deng Xiaoping, Xu was rotated to command the Guangzhou MR . Xu and political commissar Wei Guoqing provided protection for Deng Xiaoping in 1976, when the future paramount leader was purged by the Gang of Four following the death of Zhou Enlai.. Xu was also commander in chief for the Chinese forces in the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979.

Central Power

After being elected an Alternate Member of the 8th Central Committee in 1956, Xu Shiyou served in the Politburo of the 9th, 10th and 11th CCP Central Committees . He was a Vice Minister of National Defense and a member of the National Defense Council .
From 1980, he was also a member of the Military Affairs Commission. In September 1982, Xu became the only military officer named a founding Vice Chairmen of the Central Advisory Commission.

Xu Haidong

2008-09-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Xu Haidong was a Grand General in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Xu was born in Huangpi , Hubei Province of China. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1925.

He was made Grand General or Da Jiang in 1955. This rank was awarded to 10 of the veteran leaders of the PLA in 1955 and never conferred again.

He died in Zhengzhou in March 1970. He was the chief editor of the book "Military History of the Red 25th Army''.

Yan Hongyan

2008-09-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

Yan Hongyan was a general of the People's Liberation Army of China.

Yan was born in Anding County, Shaanxi province in 1909. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1924. He participated North Expedition. Later he became the commander of Red 30th Army. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was the vice political commissar and director of political department of the third army group in No. 2 Field Army.

After formation of the People's Republic of China, he was the vice governor and vice secretary of CPC's committee in Sichuan Province. In August 1959, he became the No. 1 secretary of CPC's committee in Yunnan Province, No.1 political commissar in Kunming Military Region, and secretary of secretariat in Southwest bureau of CPC. In December 1963, he became the chairman of Yunnan commission of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and also an alternative member of the 8th CPC Central Committee. He was persecuted by Gang of Four during the Cultural Revolution.

He was made a general in 1955.

He died on 8 January 1967 in Yunnan.

Yang Chengwu

2008-09-09T07:40:00.004-07:00

Yang Chengwu was a general of the People's Republic of China.

Yang was Born in Changting County, Fujian Province of China.

He died on February 14, 2004 in Beijing, at the age of 90.

He was one the "Three Yang" in Chinese Military.

Yang Dezhi

2008-09-09T07:40:00.003-07:00

Yang Dezhi was a senior military officer in the North China Field Army, a veteran of the Korean War and commander in China during the Sino–Vietnamese War or Third , a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the and the Vietnam. He was a native of Nanyangqiao in Liling County, Hunan.

Early Life

Yang Dezhi, the son of a blacksmith, worked as a miner at Anyuan Coal Mine near Pinghsiang at the age of 16 and may have heard Mao speak during the 1927 strike organization efforts. He later joined a force that followed Mao to Changsha in the summer of 1927, and was defeated in that aborted uprising. Joining the CCP in 1928, Yang fought in the early battles around Jinggangshan and was assigned to Lin Biao’s 28th Regiment where he participated in battles in Jiangxi and Fujian in 1929. After 1932, Yang commanded the 1st Regiment, 1st Division under Lin and Nie Rongzhen on the Long March.

1930s

During the 1930s and 1940s, Yang commanded the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division; the 1st Column of the Field Army of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Area; and the 2nd and 19th Army Groups of the Northern China Military District.

Yang studied at ''Kang Da'' in 1937. In the late 1938 in southern Hebei, the 343rd Brigade joined Yang Yong’s 68th Regiment to form the a unit known to the KMT as the Second Column of the Eighth Route Army, under the command of Yang Dezhi, with Yang Yong as his deputy and Su Zhenhua as political commissar. This 685th Regiment of the 344th Brigade would be Yang’s main force in the Chi-Lu-Yu Military Region until the end of the Sino-Japanese war in 1945.

Civil War

Throughout 1946-48, Yang faced very strong Nationalist forces in the area between Beiping , Tianjin and Manchuria. In August 1946, Yang and Xiao Ke retreated in the face of an onslaught by three reinforced Nationalist corps concentrated on the rail lines between Beiping and Shenyang. In April 1948, Yang commanded the 2nd Army under the North China Military Region of Nie Rongzhen and Xu Xiangqian. His deputy was Geng Biao and the political commissar Lo Ruiqing.

The 19th Group Army, established in August 1947, brought together several officers who would take prominent roles in post-liberation China. Among these were Geng Biao, Luo Ruiqing, Yang Chengwu, Pan Zili and Yang Dezhi.

In the Spring of 1949, Yang’s now 19th Army besieged Taiyuan, where Yang worked closely with Xu Xiangqian’s 18th Army. Following that battle, Yang reinforced Peng Dehuai at Lanzhou and remained with him into Ningxia through 1949. Yang Dezhi established the Ningxia Military Control Committee and Commanded the local Military District as the Civil War drew to a close.

Korea

The outbreak of hostilities on the Korean peninsula led to Yang’s 19th Army being pre-positioned in Shandong, where it was reequipped with new Russian arms. Yang led the 19th Army, 1st Field Army, to reinforce Peng Dehuai’s Chinese People’s Volunteers in Korea in February 1951 as Deputy Commander of the CPV.

Yang’s forces participated in the fifth offensive against the ROK 1st Division and British 29th Brigade, destroying the Gloucester Battalion during the push toward Seoul. In May 1952, his forces were driven back from Chorwon and, suffering heavy causalities withdrew north for reinforcements from Yang Chengwu’s 20th Army. Yang remained in Korea until 1955, and was overall commander of the CPV during 1954-55.

Regional Commands

Yang studied at the Nanjing Advanced Military Institute after returning from Korea, graduating in 1958 and being named Commander of the Jinan Military Region, a post he would hold until the mid-1970s. Yang’s first post-liberation assignment was as Shanxi Military District Commander. He later rose to command the Jinan Military Region , Shandong MD , Wuhan MR and Kunming MR.

National Office

Yang took over from Deng Xiaoping as PLA Chief-of-Staff in February 1980, joined the standing committee of the CCP Military Affairs Commission and was named a Vice Minister of National Defense a month later. He was a member of the 11th and 12th politburos, 1977-87.

Yang Dezhi was awarded the rank of General in 1955,, and served as an Alternate Member of the 8th Central Committee . He was elevated to full membership at the 9th CC in 1969 and retained that status through the 12th CC , where he served as a Full Politburo member. General Yang also served on the CC Secretariat, February 1980-September 1982, and on the Military Affairs Committee, from 1980 to 1987. He was Vice Minister of National Defence during much of the 1980s.

General Yang Dezhi retired from his party and military posts in November 1987, together with Marshals Xu Xiangqian and Nie Rongzhen, Defense Minister Zhang Aiping and General Political Department Director Yu Qiuli. Yang is reported to have signed a plea to avoid using military force against demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 1989, a letter to the MAC said to have been signed by seven retired military officers including Zhang Aiping, Xiao Ke, Chen Zaidao and Song Shilun.

The Three Yangs

There are several photos of three generals surnamed Yang, and together with their service records and official writings, it appears that Generals Yang Dezhi, Yang Yong and Yang Chengwu were particularly close comrades in arms. When Yang Chengwu was political commissar of the 1st Division, Yang Dezhi was commander of the 2nd Division and Yang Yong was political commissar of the 4th Division, all in the 1st Front Army. A decade or so later, Yang Dezhi commanded the 19th Army Group, Yang Chengwu the 20th and Yang Yong the 5th, all in the 2nd Field Army. In Korea, the three fought together as well.

Yang Baibing

2008-09-09T07:40:00.001-07:00

Yang Baibing is a general of the People's Liberation Army.

Biography

He was born in Tongnan County, Chongqing City and joined the Communist Party of China in March 1938.

In 1960, he became the vice director of the political department in Chengdu Military Region. He was persecuted in Cultural Revolution, and was imprisoned illegally for a long time. In 1978, he became the vice director of political department in Beijing Military Region. He was promoted to vice political commissar of Beijing Military Region in 1982, and political commissar there in 1985. He was appointed as the director of the General Political Department of PLA in 1987. He was made general in 1988.

He was the secretary-general in Central Military Commission of CPC, and secretary of central secretariat of CPC. He was a politburo in 14th CPC Central Committee.

He is a cousin of Yang Shangkun.

Sun Dafa

2008-09-09T07:38:00.007-07:00

Sun Dafa is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China and the current political commissar of the PLA General Logistics Department.

Born in Jinzhai, Anhui Province, Sun joined the army in 1964 and the Communist Party of China in 1968. After 1977, he served as the secretary of Li Desheng, then the commander of the Shenyang Military Region. In May 1984, he became the political commissar of the 115th division of the PLA 39th army. In June 1990, he was elevated to the position of director of the political department of the PLA 16th army group, and achieved the rank of major general. He was later promoted to political commissar of the army group.

In January 1999, Sun became the director of the political department of the Shenyang Military Region, and attained the rank of lieutenant general in 2000. He was transferred to the Nanjing Military Region in August 2003 and became director of the political department there. In January 2005, he became the vice political commissar and secretary of discipline commission of the Nanjing Military Region. Since July of 2005, he has served as political commissar of the PLA General Logistics Department. He was made a full general in June 2007.

Sun is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He graduated from PLA National Defense University and has authored some military books, for example ''High-Tech War Strategy'' .

Sun Zhongtong

2008-09-09T07:38:00.005-07:00

Sun Zhongtong is a general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current vice director of the PLA General Political Department.

Born in Wendeng, Shandong Province, he started working in September 1964, and joined the Communist Party of China in September 1965. He graduated from the CPC Central Party School, majoring in economics management.

He joined the army in January 1965, and served in various posts in the Liaoning provincial military region. He was elevated to vice director of the propaganda department of the PLA General Political Department in October 1990. In May 1993, he became the editor-in-chief of the PLA Daily and became the president of this newspaper agency in September 1994. He became the assistant director of the General Political Department and a member of the CPC committee there in July 2001. He was elevated to vice director of the General Political Department in July 2004. In December of the same year, he was also appointed secretary of the discipline commission of the of the CPC.

He attained the rank of major general in July 1993, lieutenant general in July 2002, and full general in June 2006.

He was an alternate member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He is currently a member of the .

Tian Xiusi

2008-09-09T07:38:00.003-07:00

Tian Xiusi is currently a standing committee member of the Communist Party of China Xinjiang committee and the political commissar of the Xinjiang Provincial Military Region.

Biography

Tian was born in Dongshuiyun Village, Houcun Town, Mengzhou, Henan Province. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1968 and has served in Xinjiang for 32 years. In July 2006, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant general. He is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Ulanhu

2008-09-09T07:38:00.001-07:00

Ulanhu was the founder of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, and in 1955, was awarded the rank of Senior General. A member of the Communist Party of China, Ulanhu served as China's Vice-President under President Li Xiannian from 1983-1988.

He was born as Yun Ze, and only later adopted the Mongolian name Ulanhu . His son and granddaughter, Buhe and Bu Xiaolin, were both politically active.

Wang Guosheng

2008-09-09T07:37:00.006-07:00

Wang Guosheng is a lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as commander of the PLA Lanzhou Military Region.

Born in , Jilin Province, Wang joined the PLA in February 1968. He then served as chief of staff of the 40th army corps. In December 2001, he was elevated to commander of the 40th army corps. He became the chief of staff of the Lanzhou Military Region in December 2003, and was promoted to commander of the Region in June 2007.

He attained the rank of Lieutenant general in July 2005, and is a current member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Wang Ruilin

2008-09-09T07:37:00.005-07:00

Wang Ruilin is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China.

Born in , Shandong Province, Wang joined PLA in 1946, and joined CPC in February 1947. He had served as secretary of Deng Xiaoping since 1952, when Deng was the vice premier of the State Council. When Deng re-emerged in 1970's, Wang became his secretary again and held this post till Deng's retirement in 1990.

From 1990 to 1995, he was the vice director of general office of CPC Central Committee, vice director of general office of Central Military Commission of CPC, secretary of discipline commission of CMC and the vice director of PLA General Political Department.

In 1995, he became a member of Central Military Commission of CPC, vice director of PLA General Political Department and vice director of general office of CPC Central Committee.

He was made lieutenant general in 1988 and general in 1994.

Wang was a member of 13th, 14th and 15th Central Committees of Communist Party of China.

Wang Xibin

2008-09-09T07:37:00.003-07:00

Wang Xibin is a lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the President of the PLA National Defense University.

Biography

Born in Ning'an, Heilongjiang Province, Wang joined the army in January 1966. He graduated from the Academy of Armor Engineering, majoring in military command. He served as chief of staff of the 38th army corps of the PLA. In December 2000, he became the commander of the 27th army corps. In December 2005, he was promoted to chief of staff of the Beijing Military Region. In September 2007, he was appointed to his present post as the president of the PLA National Defense University. He was made a lieutenant general in July 2007, and is currently a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Wang Zhen

2008-09-09T07:37:00.001-07:00

Wáng Zhèn was a political figure and one of the . Like most Chinese communist leaders, Wang was a commander in his early years. During World War II when the communist base in northwestern China was blockaded by Kuomintang forces under the command of Hu Zongnan, Wang Zhen gained fame as the brigade commander of the 359th Brigade for successfully converting waste land in Nanniwan into productive farm land, and the agricultural output not only supported the brigade itself, but also with a substantial surplus to support other parts of the communist base. The success was later propagandised by the communists as an example of self sufficiency. However, it must be said that one of the major reason for the success was that the local micro-climate and fertile land were similar to that of productive lands in southern China, an extremely rare exception for the region, and as communists attempted to duplicate Wang Zhen's success, most efforts failed because the harsh climate and poor soil of the region.

After the communist takeover, Wang Zhen was one of the only two Chinese commanders that were authorized to carry guns when visiting Mao Zedong. The other one was Xu Shiyou , but Xu never carried a gun when visiting Mao. Wang Zhen, on the other hand, wore his gun for his first visit. When stopped by Mao's bodyguards, Wang Zhen began to argue with them. Mao investigated the noise, and told his bodyguards that he trusted Wang fully, and unless Wang was carrying atomic bombs, Wang could carry anything he wanted when he visited Mao. After that incident, Wang never wore a weapon while visiting Mao.

In October, 1952, Wang Zhen's younger brother, Wang Yumei asked him to provide money to build a mansion for their mother in their hometown, but Wang Zhen refused. When Wang Zhen visited his hometown several years later, it was discovered his younger brother Wang Yumei had kept ducks for their family but allowed them to feed on grain produced on public land, but because Wang Yumei was his younger brother, nobody dared to say or do anything. Wang Zhen personally held a public gathering denouncing his younger brother, and ordered lieutenant Hu Shizhong , the commander of the local garrison, to confiscate all ducks owned by Wang Yumei's family. For good measure, he threatened to beat his younger brother in public if he dared to do any similar again. Wang Zhen's treatment of his younger brother earned him a good reputation and many top brass of the communist regime were impressed, feeling that it was good propaganda for the communists.

Despite his uncorrupt behavior in the 1950s, and his strong support for Chinese economic reform, Wang Zhen was not popular among Chinese people after 1979 due to his political hard line conservatism. His political support of Deng Xiaoping and being a member of his regime was largely due to his close personal friendship with Deng, which was further strengthened by their common opposition to radical political reforms. As one of the architects of the suppression by force of the pro-democracy , he was quoted in the Tiananmen Papers as stating in a June 2 1989 meeting with other Communist Party of China elders: "''We should announce in advance to those people occupying the Square that we're coming in. They can listen or not as they choose, but then we move in. If it causes deaths, that's their own fault. We can't be soft or merciful toward anti-Party, anti-socialist elements.''" He served as the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China from 1988 to 1993 under President Yang Shangkun.

Another quotation from Wáng Zhèn is said to be: "''The Communist Party of China established our government in China at the cost of 40 million people's lives. Any attempt to steal the control of the government from the Party without exchanging with 40 million lives for it is daydreaming!''" Wang Zhen died on March 12, 1993, and his last spoken words was that:"''I would visit , and report to , , and ''", the three people he was most loyal to, in addition to Deng Xiaoping, who was still alive. The last written words Wang Zhen left was:"Salute to the ! Salute to the People! Salute to the !"

Wang Jianmin

2008-09-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

''For the New York Yankees pitcher, see Chien-Ming Wang.''

Wang Jianmin is a Lieutenant General in the military. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in June 1962, and in September 1963 joined the Communist Party of China.

Career

* 1973, Operations office director and assistant section chief, operations section, operations department, Shenyang Military Region.
* 1983, Assistant Department Chief, Operations Department.
* 1985, Division Commander.
* 1987, Department Chief, Operations Department, Shenyang Military Region Command.
* 1989, Studied at the PLA National Defense University.
* 1993, Deputy Commander, 23rd Group Army.
* 1995, Commander, 23rd Group Army. Commander, 39th Group Army.
* 1997, Candidate member, 15th National People's Congress.
* 1999, Chief of Staff, Shenyang Military Region.
* 2000, Deputy Commander, Shenyang Military Region.
* 2002, Commander, Chengdu Military Region.

Member, 16th National People's Congress.

Promoted to BGEN in July 1994, MGEN in 2000, and LTGEN on June 24th, 2006.

Wu Shaozu

2008-09-09T07:35:00.006-07:00

Wu Shaozu is a Chinese politician and a major general of the People's Liberation Army.

Liu Xiaojiang

2008-09-09T07:35:00.005-07:00

Liu Xiaojiang is currently the vice political commissar of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Liu was born in Ji'an, Jiangxi Province. He is the son of Liu Xiyuan , one of first lieutenant generals conferred in 1955 in the People's Republic of China. He is also the son-in-law of Hu Yaobang, former general secretary of CPC.

He was made a navy lieutenant general in 2002. He is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Among 41 central committee members from the PLA, 38 were from the position of large military region, and only 3 were from the vice position of large military regions. Liu was one of them. The other two were Tian Xiusi, political commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region, and Dong Guishan, commander of the Tibet Military Region.

Liu Yongzhi

2008-09-09T07:35:00.003-07:00

Liu Yongzhi is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as vice director of the PLA General Political Department and a member of the CPC committee there.

Biography

Born in Yanling County, Henan Province, Liu joined the Communist Party of China in November 1963.

In April 1999, he was appointed to be the director of the political department and a standing committee member of the CPC committee of the Nanjing Military Region. In December 2000, he became the vice political commissar of the Region. In October 2002, he was transferred to the Lanzhou Military Region and promoted to political commissar and secretary of the CPC committee there. Since December 2004, he has served as vice director of the PLA General Political Department and as a member of its CPC committee.

Liu attained the rank of major general in June 1991, lieutenant general in July 2000, and general on June 24, 2006. He was a member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and is currently a member of the .

Luo Ruiqing

2008-09-09T07:35:00.001-07:00

Luo Ruiqing was a general and politician of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Luo Ruiqing was born in Nanchong, Sichuan in 1906. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1928.

Luo was awarded as Da Jiang, highest rank of general in People's Liberation Army in 1955.

He was the from 1949 to 1959.

Ma Xiaotian

2008-09-09T07:34:00.004-07:00

Ma Xiaotian is a general of the People's Republic of China. He is originally from Gongyi city in Henan province. He is currently the deputy head of the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department, and a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Ma joined the air force in 1965, and learned to fly at the 2nd Preparatory Flight School, before formally entering the 12th Flight School the next year. After his graduation in 1968, he became a visiting military instructor. Ma joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1969, and beginning in 1972 saw a continuous series of promotions. In 1983, he became the deputy headmaster, and was then promoted to headmaster. In 1993, Ma began studies at the PLA National Defense University. After graduating in 1994, he became the head of staff of the 10th division of the Air Force, and was later promoted to head of the division. In March of 1997, Ma became the deputy head of staff of the PLA Air Force. The next year, he served as the head of staff of the Air Force of the Guangzhou Military Region. He has also served as the deputy head and the head of the Air Force of the Lanzhou Military Region. In 2001, he became the deputy head and the head of the Air Force of the Nanjing Military Region. In 2003, Ma was promoted to the deputy head of the Air Force. In 2006, he became the President of the PLA National Defense University. Finally, in 2007, he attained his current position as deputy head of the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department. He has been a member of the and .

Peng Xiaofeng

2008-09-09T07:34:00.003-07:00

Peng Xiaofeng is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current political commissar of the PLA Second Artillery Corps.

His ancestors were from Zhenping, Henan Province. Peng is the son of Peng Xuefeng, a renowned general during the Sino-Japanese War and the head of the 4th division of the New Fourth Army. The younger Peng entered the PLA Institute of Military Engineering in Harbin in September 1963, and joined the Communist Party of China in December 1965. He joined the PLA in August 1968.

He formerly served in the PLA 40th army corps as director of the political department, vice political commissar and political commissar. In August 2001, he became the vice political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region. In January 2002, he was appointed to be the vice political commissar and discipline department secretary of PLA National Defense University. He was promoted to his present position as political commissar of the Second Artillery Corps in December 2003.

He attained the rank of major general in 1997, lieutenant general in 2001, and full general on June 24, 2006.

He is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Qin Jiwei

2008-09-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Qin Jiwei was a general of the People's Republic of China, Minister of National Defense and a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo.

Qin Jiwei was born to a poor peasant family in Huang'an , Hubei Province of China in November 1914.

Combat

Qin joined a Hebei guerrilla band after the failed Autumn Harvest Uprisings, and spent his earliest years in the military under the leadership of Xu Haidong and Xu Xiangqian, and along side future generals Chen Zaidao and Xu Shiyou. After a series of setbacks, the unit Qin served in was redesignated the 31st Division, Red 11th Corps.

The Fourth Front Army participated in the Long March as a separate unit from the main force under Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong. At the close of the Long March, Xu Xiangqian’s Right Column were shattered by Muslim cavalry in a battle that might have turned out differently had Mao Zedong not abandon Fourth Front Army commander Zhang Guotao. One story has Qin and future general secretary Hu Yaobang captured in the battle and held prisoner for a year or so before finding an opportunity to escape.

In 1939, Qin was commander of the 1st Military Sub-District of the Jinjiyu Military Region and at the end of the Sino-Japanese War, Chief-of-Staff of the Taihang Military District. His units were organized into the 9th Column in 1947, and later combined with Chen Geng’s 4th Column into the 4th Army of the 2nd Field Army. In 1949, Qin commanded the 4th’s 15th Corps, which he led into Korea.

Domestic Assignments

In the 1954 reorganization that established 13 Military Regions, Xie Fuzhi was given command of the Kunming MR and Qin was made deputy commander. He was awarded the rank of Lt. General in 1955 and eventually, he became a member of the National Defense Council , and commander of the Kunming and Sichuan Military Regions. In 1975, he was named political commissar of the Beijing MR, and in 1980-87 was its commander. In the latter post, Qin took over from two of the so-called ‘Small Gang of Four’, commander Chen Xilian and political commissar Ji Dengkui.

Qin was a member of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Central Committees. In 1977, he was named to the party Military Affairs Committee and a decade later, as one of only two military officers named to the politburo . In September 1988, Qin was promoted to full general and made Defense Minister, until 1990. In 1989, he is said to have hesitated to use force to disperse protesters in Tiananmen Square. At his death in February 1997, his only official post was Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress.

Shao Hua

2008-09-09T07:33:00.009-07:00

Shao Hua was a photographer and a major general in the People's Liberation Army. Shao was the daughter-in-law of the late Chairman Mao Zedong and the wife of Mao's second son, Mao Anqing, who had died in 2007.

Shao married Mao Anqing, Mao Zedong's second son and a linguists, The couple had one son, Mao Xinyu. Her husband had no active role in the Chinese government. Mao Anqing died on March 23, 2007, at the age of 84.

Shao Hua died in Beijing of an unspecified illness on June 24, 2008, at the age of 69. Her death was announced by the China Photographers Association and the state run Xinhua news agency.

Shi Yunsheng

2008-09-09T07:33:00.007-07:00

Shi Yunsheng , born in Fushun, Liaoning Province, is a general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He was the fifth Navy commander of PLA

He was the commander of air force of South Sea Fleet, and was promoted to vice commander of air force of Navy in 1990. Two years later, he was promoted to vice commander of PLA Navy. In November of 1996, he was appointed as commander of PLA Navy. He was removed from the post after the incident of in May 2003. After that, he was completely retired.

He was conferred the rank of general on June 21, 2000.

Shi was a member of 15th and 16th Central Committees of Communist Party of China.

Song Shi-Lun

2008-09-09T07:33:00.005-07:00

Song-Shilung , born in Hunan Province, was a general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. General Song had graduated from Whampoa Military Academy and participated in the Long March. He died September 17, 1991 in Shanghai.

During the Korean War, General Song Shilun commanded the PLA 9th Army Group. His armies fought against the 1st Marine Division at the in November-December of 1950. The 9th Army Group consisted of:

:PLA 3rd Field Army consisting of:
:*The 20th Army
:*The 26th Army
:*The 27th Army
:PLA 4th Field Army consisting of:
:*The 42nd Army

Su Yu

2008-09-09T07:33:00.003-07:00

Su Yu was a Chinese Communist military leader. He was considered by many to be among the best commanders of the PLA along with Lin Biao and Liu Bocheng.

Biography

Born in Huitong county, Hunan province to an ethnic family, he fought in the Sino-Japanese War and in the Chinese Civil War. He commanded the East China Field Army during the Chinese Civil War.

The Central Jiangsu Campaign was the first of many of his brilliant works that defined his legacy. The successes of the battle persuaded Mao Zedong to change his military strategy of the Chinese Civil War from a traditional guerrilla style warfare to a more mobile and conventional approach.

He was also the commander of the PLA in the famous and much propagandized Menglianggu Campaign. In this campaign, the elite Nationalist Seventy-Fourth was completely destroyed after Su Yu succeeded in encircling the unit.

He was the major commander during the Huaihai Campaign . It was his suggestion on January 22, 1948 that the two armies of Liu and Su follow a sudden-concentrate, sudden-disperse strategy that lead to this decisive victory in late 1948, with the destruction of five Nationalist armies and the killing or capture of 550,000 Nationalist soldiers. Su's army alone destroyed 4 nationalist armies and was the deciding force in destroying the fifth.

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, it was rumored that Su Yu was the commander that Mao wanted to lead the Chinese Voluntary Army into Korea. However, because of his illness , neither him nor Lin Biao were able to command the CVA. In the end Peng Dehuai was selected after Lin refused to lead the army.

He was made a Senior General in 1955. He served in numerous positions including the Chief of the General Staff of the PLA in the 50s. He died in Beijing in 1984.

Su Yu was married to Chu Qing , and they had three kids, all of them were sent to join the by Su Yu. The eldest was son Su Rongsheng , born in 1942, followed by the second son Su Hansheng , and the youngest is daughter Su Huining , who married Chen Xiaolu in August, 1975. Chen Xiaolu is Su Yu's direct superior during war time, 's son. According to Su Rongsheng, Su Yu was an extremely strict father. When Su Rongsheng was only three years old, Su Yu forced him to learn how to swim by giving him a section of bamboo for flotation, and pushed him into the water in front of his mother, and prohibited anyone from attempting to saving Su Rongsheng. Su Yu's wife, Chu Qing was outraged and asked Su Yu angrily that if he was not worried about Su Rongsheng being drown, but Su Yu answered that Su Rongsheng would never learn how to swim other way and besides, he was not drowning anyway. At age of 20, Su Rongsheng joined the PLA and remained in service for 45 years, rising from an ordinary soldier to a lieutenant general when he retired as the deputy commander-in-chief of Beijing Military District at age 65.

Li Changcai

2008-09-09T07:33:00.001-07:00

Li Changcai is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China and the current political commissar of Lanzhou Military Region.

Li was born in Hefei, Anhui Province. In September 2000, he became political commissar of 31 army corps. In July 2005, he became director of political department of Nanjing Military Region. He was elevated to deputy political commissar of Nanjing Military Region in December 2006. In September 2007, he was appointed as political commissar of Lanzhou Military Region.

He was made lieutenant general in July 2006. He is currently a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Li Kenong

2008-09-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

Li Kenong was a major figure in the early history of intelligence, and was rewarded the rank of in 1955. Recognized on the Chinese mainland as such, he almost unknown in the West.

Early years

Born in Chaohu County, , Li was also known as Li Zetian and Li Leizhong. He became the deputy editor of the ''Anqing Guomin Shibao'' in 1926, entering the Chinese Communist Party in 1927. In this same period Li became a local propaganda leader for the Chinese in the same locality, and performed local coordination for the Northern Expedition. After the CCP's break with the KMT in April 1927, Li travelled to Shanghai in 1928 to do newspaper work for the communists on the ''Tieshenche Bao'' and the ''Laobaixing Bao'' newspapers. At this time he assumed intelligence duties with the CCP Special Branch and eventually was assigned a covert role as the personal decoder to KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek. In 1929, under the direct order of Zhou Enlai, Li Kenong used a fake name, Li Zetian to join a KMT intelligence agency in Shanghai, specializing in radio communication and cryptography. Li excelled in his work and was promoted to the section head at Shanghai, but unbeknownst to the KMT, he was passing everything of interest along to their enemies the communists.

On April 25, 1931, Qian Zhuangfei , one of the agents planted in the intelligence agency headquarted at Nanjing, who was directly under Li's control, saw the message from Wuhan announcing the capture of the senior CCP intelligence official Gu Shunzhang . Qian held the message from distribution while he sent his son-in-law from Nanjing to notify Li in Shanghai. Li immediately attempted to inform CCP leaders of the event, but April 25 and April 26 were not the day for him to contact his case officer, Chen Geng. Li decided to break the rule and went to look for Chen in one place after another and eventually found him, reporting the capture of Gu. The pair informed Zhou Enlai, who arranged an emergency evacuation of as many CCP members as possible from their hiding places in Shanghai. hundreds were saved, though not all. These events marked the end of Li Kenong's ability to serve under clandestine cover, and he fled to Mao Zedong's base in . Li was later appointed the head of the CCP's Jiangxi Protection Branch , Executive Director of Political Protection for the Chinese Soviet, and Chief of Political Protection Bureau. Upon arrival in Shanxi at the end of , Li became the chief of the CCP Central Committee Liaison Bureau . In 1936 after the Xi'an Incident, he was appointed as Secretary in charge of the CCP delegation based there. During the Xi'an Incident, Li served for the first time as a principal negotiator, roles that he would repeat later on in Panmunjom and Geneva .

World War II

Upon the outbreak of the in 1937, Li was appointed head of the Eighth Route Army offices in Shanghai, Nanking , and Guilin. He also became the CCP Central Committee Yangtze Bureau Secretary, and an assistant to Zhou Enlai. As the relationship between the CCP and KMT worsened with the 1941 New Fourth Army Incident, communist delegations in nationalist controlled regions were ordered to return to Yan'an. Li Kenong faced an impossible task of taking all of the important documents and intelligence gathered back to the communist base without being confiscated by the nationalists and he accomplished this successfully by letting his team to ride with a nationalist military convoy along the way. Li personally rode in the very same car used by the commander, and completed the journey without any loss.

After his successful return to Yan'an, he became the deputy director of the CCP Central Department of Social Affairs , under Kang Sheng. In 1942 he became the deputy of the CCP Central Intelligence Department , the staff and leadership of which partially overlapped with those of the CDSA. One of the primary tasks of him and his fellow was to do business with the Japanese, so that the supplies needed in communist rear areas such as medicines could be obtained. Although such actions were sanctioned by Mao Zedong himself, the communist agents and cadres involved were nonetheless persecuted decades later during the Cultural Revolution. Li may only have escaped such a fate because he died in 1962.

Chinese Civil War

In 1945, Li was placed in charge of the CCP delegation office in Peiping , and was concurrently appointed head of the Central Intelligence Department and Director of the CDSA, replacing Kang Sheng after the unpopular rectification campaigns led by Kang on behalf of Mao Zedong. In 1947 Li became a member of the Central Committee’s Rear Area Commission.

During the Chinese Civil War, Li Kenong continued to personally take charge of decoding and his team achieved great success with planted in the KMT forces. KMT messages were deciphered and read by the communists, sometimes before being used by KMT army commanders on the battlefield.

On 9 August 1949, the CDSA was formally abolished: its internal security and domestic counter-intelligence remit was assigned to what after the establishment of the PRC on 1 October 1949 would become the Ministry of Public Security, headed by General Luo Ruiqing. Li Kenong continued to serve head of a reconstituted political and military intelligence apparatus, following an instruction from Mao that "Li Kenong will look after Li Kenong's business." Li became Secretary of the Central Committee’s Intelligence Commission, Director of the Central Intelligence Department, a Deputy , and the Director of the Central Military Commission Intelligence Department.

Post 1949

In July 1951, continuing his role as a paramount negotiator with the enemy during the Korean War, Li joined the communist side at the Panmunjom Peace Talks in Korea as the leader of the joint PRC-DPRK delegation. In 1953 he was appointed as a Deputy Chief of Staff in the People’s Liberation Army. In 1954 he was a member of the Chinese government’s delegation to the Geneva Talks. In 1955 he was made Colonel General in the PLA and made Director of the CCP Central Investigation Department , which consolidated Chinese foreign intelligence efforts in one central department. In recognition of his long service, in 1956 Li was elected to full membership of the CCP Central Committee.

Death

Li suffered a stroke in October 1959 and was not seen in public again except for once in 1960. He died on 9 February 1962.

Sources

*''Zhongyang Weiyuan: Central Committee Members from the First Through the Fifteenth Party Congresses''
*''Biography of Luo Ruiqing'' ;
*Matthew Brazil, "China" in ''The Encyclopedia of Intelligence and Counterintelligence''

Li Shiming

2008-09-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Li Shiming is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current commander of the PLA Chengdu Military Region.

Born in Santai, Sichuan Province, he joined the PLA in April 1968, and the Communist Party of China in December of the same year. In December 2006, he was appointed vice commander of the PLA Chengdu Military Region. In September 2007, he was promoted to commander of the Chengdu Military Region.

He attained the rank of lieutenant general in 2005, and is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Li Zhaolin

2008-09-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Li Zhaolin, 李超兰, , was the founder and leader of the 3rd Route Army, a division of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Li was born in Liaoyang county, Liaoning Province, Manchuria. After the Mukden Incident, he joined the Anti-Japanese National Salvation movement in Beijing. He later returned to organize his hometown volunteers against Japan. In May 1932 Li joined the Youth League and in the fall of 1932 he joined the Communist Party of China and was engaged in to the Benxi coal mine labor movement.

In December 1932 with the Japanese defeating the Lu came to Harbin to direct the military actions of the local party organization. By November 1933, Li went to county to lead its guerrilla forces as deputy commander and political officer under Zhao Shangzhi. By the 6th of June 1934 he became director of the Political Department of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and director of the General Political Department of the anti-Japanese forces in northern Manchuria. In the next few years with Zhao Shangzhi and Li Yanlu made coordinated raids and attacked and occupied Linkou for a time, and founded the Tangyuan guerrilla base in the lower Songhua River. In May 1939, Li assumed the command of the 3rd Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. He then carried out guerrilla war in the Songnen Plain against the Japanese, and overran , Keshan, Zhaoyuan and other counties.

By the end of 1940, the resistance forces were in an extremely difficulty situation and had suffered serious setbacks. By November 1941 Li was forced to withdraw into the Soviet Union and for the rest of the war cooperated with Soviet Red Army. In 1945 he returned to Manchuria with the liberating Soviet army. He became the vice commander of the Harbin Garrison Headquarters, and party secretary of the Songhua-jiang zone, vice president of Binjiang province, chairman of Sino-Soviet Friendship Association. On March 9, 1946 Li was killed in Harbin by Kuomintang agents. To commemorate him, Harbin changed the name the Lam Kam Road Park to Zhaolin Park.

Li Desheng

2008-09-09T07:18:00.003-07:00

Li Desheng was a general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He was born in Xin County, Henan, China, an area now known as the ‘Cradle of Generals’ for its surprising number of senior military officers born in the region.. He joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army at the age of 14, in 1930; the Communist Youth League in 1931; and the CCP a year later. He attains the rank of Major General in 1955, and General in 1988. His career path suggests that he was mentored by Chen Xilian and closely aligned with You Taizhong. Li Desheng served on the politburo during the most turbulent post-liberation period, 1969-87.

Pre- and Post-Liberation Era

Li was a regiment supply section political instructor in 1934 and a platoon leader in 1937. He participated in the Long March and the Hubei-Henan-Anhui revolutionary bases. During the war against Japan, he rose from platoon commander in 1937 to company commander in 1938, battalion commander in 1939-43 and regiment commander in 1943-45, all under the leadership of the 129th Division's Liu Bocheng/Deng Xiaoping. He was 17th Brigade Commander in the Central Plains Field Army during the Huai Hai Campaign. Before the post-liberation reorganization, in which this unit reemerges as the 12th Corps, 2nd Field Army, Li led his 35th Division into the Korean War in 1951-55, rising to Division Commander. He then returns to Anhui Province in the Nanjing Military Region in the early 1950s. Li will later become Deputy Commander and later Commander of what eventually became the Jiangsu-based 12th Group Army. Li rose to Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Military Region in 1968-70.

GPCR

As the army moved to quell the Red Guard and reestablish governmental institutions, Li assumed the title of Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Anhui Province in April 1968, a post he formally held for more than seven years. In March 1969, Li was named as an Alternate Member of the Politburo and, at the 9th National Party Congress in August, to the CCP Military Affairs Commission. He was also made Director, for a year , of the powerful General Political Department, a position described as “Military Grand Inquisitor”.

The downfall of Lin Biao in the Autumn of 1971 saw a wholesale purge of the former heir-apparent’s allies, to the benefit of second generation generals. Li moved into one of the most politically sensitive posts in the armed forces immediately after the Lin Biao Affair, as Commander of the Beijing Military Region, 1971-73. Li became a Vice Chairman of the CCP CMC in October 1971, and Vice Chairman of the CCP and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee at the October 1973 10th National Party Congress.

In 1973, Li was transferred to Shenyang Military Region, where he held sway for 12 years. In this role, he succeeded Chen Xilian, although Li only held his highest positions – Party and Military Affairs Committee Vice Chairman – until February 1975, when he was unaccountably dropped from his two key positions. After the coup d’état against the Gang of Four, Li reemerged as a member of the CCP CMC in August 1977.

Li’s last jobs are as political commissar of the National Defense University and Vice Chairman of the honorary party Central Advisory Commission.

Li Jinai

2008-09-09T07:18:00.001-07:00

General Li Jinai is a general of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

General Li Jinai was born in Tengzhou, Shandong province in July 1942. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in May 1965, and joined the People's Liberation Army in December 1967. He graduated from the Harbin Institute of Technology in 1966, majoring in Engineering Mechanics.

He was elevated to the General Political Department of the PLA in 1985, and became the deputy director there in 1990. From 1992 to 1998, he served the State Commission of Science and Technology for National Defense Industry as deputy political commissar and later political commissar. From 1998 to 2002, he was the political commissar and vice party's secretary of the General Armament Department of PLA, and was elected as director of that department as well as a member of the of the Communist Party in 2002. One year later, he was elected as a member of CMC of the state.

In September 2004, he was appointed the director of the General Political Department of the PLA, while holding the position of member of CMC of the party and the state.

He was an alternate member of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and a regular member of the , and .

Liang Guanglie

2008-09-09T07:17:00.002-07:00

Liang Guanglie is a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Liang was born in Santai, Sichuan Province of China in 1940. He joined the army in January 1958, and joined the Communist Party of China in November 1959.

From December 1993 to July 1995, he was the chief of staff in Beijing Military Region.

From July 1995 to December 1997, he was the vice commander in Beijing Military Region.

From December 1997 to December 1999, he was the commander of Shenyang Military Region.

From December 1999 to November 2002, he was the commander of Nanjing Military Region and vice secretary of CPC's committee there.

Liang was the Chief of of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from 2002 to 2007. He currently serves as a State Councilor and the Minister of National Defense. Additionally Liang is a member of Central Military Commission.

He is an alternate member of 13th and 14th Central Committees of the Communist Party, and a member of 15th, 16th and 17th Central Committees.

Sources

*
*

Liao Xilong

2008-09-09T07:17:00.001-07:00

General Liao Xilong is a general of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

General Liao Xilong was born in , Guizhou province, in June 1940. He was recruited into the People's Liberation Army in January 1959, and joined the Communist Party of China in February 1963. He graduated from the Basic Department of the Military Academy of the PLA in 1981.

He was elevated to the deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Region in 1985. He spent months studying national defense at PLA National Defense University in 1986. He was promoted to the position of commander of the Chengdu Military Region and the vice Party secretary there in 1995. From 1999 to 2001, he took graduate classes in Sociology at Peking University. In 2002, he was appointed the director of the General Logistics Department of the PLA and a member of the of the Party, and a year later, of the state.

He has been a member of the , and .

Liu Chengjun

2008-09-09T07:16:00.002-07:00

Liu Chengjun is a lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China and the current president of the PLA Academy of Military Science.

Liu was born in Chengwu, Shandong Province. His former posts included commander of the Air Force division, vice commander and later commander of PLA Air Force 8th corps and the chief of staff of the Air Force of the Nanjing Military Region. In July 2003, he was appointed vice commander of the Nanjing Military Region and commander of the Air Force of the Nanjing Military Region. In December 2004, he was promoted to the post of vice commander of the PLA Air Force. In 2007, he succeeded general Zheng Shenxia as the president of PLA Academy of Military Science.

He was made a lieutenant general of the Air Force in July 2004, and is currently a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Liu Liankun

2008-09-09T07:16:00.001-07:00

Liu Liankun , was a Major General in the People's Liberation Army who provided the Republic of China in Taiwan with secret intelligence about the status of missiles from the People's Republic of China. During the , the Republic of China's Defense Ministry notified the public that the missiles lobbed by the People's Republic of China actually carried unarmed warheads. This tipped off Beijing that Taipei had a high-level mole working on the mainland. Liu, a top Chinese military logistics officer, was arrested, court-martialed and in 1999.

Geng Biao

2008-09-09T07:13:00.009-07:00

Geng Biao was a senior leader in Communist Party of China, and a leader in politics, foreign relation and military in China.

Geng was born in Liling, Hunan Province of China, and was a child worker in a Lead-Zinc mine in Shuikoushan, south of Hengyang City in 1922. He joined Communist Youth League of China in Shuikoushan in 1925. In 1926, he led a miners' military campaign and failed. He then went to Liuyang and organized and led a militia in 1928. In August of the same year, he joined CPC.

In September 1930, his army was recruited to the Red Three Army of Red First Army Group of Chinese Red Army, and he became the staff of 9th division of Red Three Army. In 1933, he became the head of the 4th regiment of 2nd division of Red 1st Army Group. On 10 October 1934, he embarked on the Long March as the pioneer of 2nd division.

In the beginning of 1935, his army attacked and seized a critical military fortress, Loushanguan in Guizhou Province. As a result, he was promoted to the chief of staff of the 1st division of Red 1st Army Group after Zunyi Conference. After arrival at North Shaanxi, he was severely injured in a battle. In 1936, he graduated from the University of Anti-Japan Military of Politics, and was appointed as the chief of staff of the newly arrived Red Fourth Army of Red Fourth Army Group, and successfully took control of it, which had been led by Wang Ming.

After outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War, he became the chief of staff, deputy head and deputy political commissar in 385 brigade, 129 division of Eighth Route Army. His army occupied East Gansu Province, responsible for the safety of west border of Shaan-Gan-Ning Region. He entered the school of the CPC's central committee. After graduation, he wen to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became a military leader there. He led his army to seize Zhangjiakou in 1945.

In 1946, Geng accompanied Ye Jianying to participate in Beiping Military Conciliatory Commission, and was the vice chief of staff of CPC's delegates. After the conciliation failed, he went back to Jin-Cha-Ji Region and became the chief of staff of the Field Army in the military region. In 1948, he was appointed as the vice commander of the second army group in North China Military Region. He fought in Ping-Jin campaign, and seized Taiyuan city.

After the formation of People's Republic of China, Geng was appointed as the ambassador to Sweden, and minister to Denmark and Finland on 9 May 1950. He was also the ambassador to Pakistan, Myanmar and Albania. He returned to China in 1971, and became the head of CPC's central foreign communication department, in charge of CPC's relations with foreign parties.

On 6 October 1976, he was ordered to take control of the broadcast and TV stations in Beijing, in order to quell the Four Gang. Since then, he was in charge of the propaganda of CPC. In 1978, he was appointed as , in charge of foreign relations, military industry, civil airlines and tourism. In January 1979, he became the secretary-general and member of Standing Committee of CPC's .

In 1981, he became the minister of national defense, and became state councilor next year. In 1983, he became vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and chairmen of foreign relation committee in PNC. He was also a member of Standing Committee of CPC's senior consultative committee. He was awarded First-Class Red Star Medal.

He died on 23 June 2000 in Beijing.

Xiong Guangkai

2008-09-09T07:13:00.007-07:00

Xiong Guangkai was born in Shanghai in 1939. He joined the army in 1956 and the Chinese Communist Party in 1959. Xiong was Deputy Director and later Director of the People’s Liberation Army General Staff Intelligence Department, Assistant and later Deputy Chief-of Staff . In 1988 he was conferred the rank of Major General, in 1994 Lieutenant General and in 2000 General.

Xiong also served on the Central Leading Group on Taiwan, He was also Alternate Member of the 14th, 15th and 16th Central Committees and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Qinghua and Beijing Universities and Chairman of the Chinese Institute for International Securities Studies

In 1995, General Xiong was widely, and incorrectly quoted as threatening to use nuclear weapons against Los Angeles. The person to whom he was alleged to have said this, Chas Freeman, denies it.

Guo Boxiong

2008-09-09T07:13:00.005-07:00

Guo Boxiong is the current executive vice chairman of the , a position he was appointed during the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China along with membership of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China.

Biography

In 1961 he joined the People's Liberation Army and in 1963 joined the Communist Party of China. Guo was trained at China's and the Xian Army Academy in People's Liberation Army Military Academy, where he graduated. He currently holds the rank of General. In the 55th division of the 19th army of the People's Liberation Army Guo rose from a soldier to chief of staff of the 55th division by 1982. By 1983 Guo was chief of staff of the PLA 19th army until 1985, when he became deputy chief of staff of the Lanzhou Military Region. Afterwards Guo became commander of the 47th Group Army for three years. In 1993 Guo became deputy commander of the Beijing Military Region, and in 1997 commander of the Lanzhou Military Region.

Han Xianchu

2008-09-09T07:13:00.003-07:00

Han Xianchu was a general of the Chinese Communist Party. Han participated in many military campaigns and battles such as Battle of Pingxingguan, Liaoshen Campaign, Pingjin Campaign, Hainan Campaign, and the Korean War. In 1955 he became Shang Jiang , the highest rank in the People's Liberation Army, and more commonly known as the ''Country Establishing General'' .

Early life

Han was born in a poor farming village in Huang'an County , modern day Hong'an County , Hubei province in February, 1913. He stopped schooling because he wasn't able to pay tuition, and since, held jobs to support his family. Han's background and poor childhood gave him a revolutionary mindset, which would propel him to join the Chinese Communist Party.

Early Involvements with the Chinese Communist Party

Joining the party

Following in April 1927, peasant revolts broke out throughout China in the Ten Year's Civil War. Han joined his local Peasant's Committee and participated in the Huangma Uprising . The following year, he joined the ''Grand Union of Anti-Imperialism'' and in the year after, he joined a Communist youth group. In 1930, Han joined Communist in Xiaogan area and officially joined the Chinese Communist Party in October of the same year.

Soaring through the ranks

In 1931, Han led a squad and operated guerrilla warfare in Hubei. Han showed bravery and perseverance in numerous fights defending the local Communist powers, and proved to be an ardent supporter of the revolution. Han was assigned to the 25th Army, 75th Division, 225th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 5th Company as a platoon commander in 1933. In November 1934, the Red 25th Army began a strategic retreat, known as the Long March to avoid annihilation by the Kuomingtang. Han performed outstandingly against the pursuers and by the time his regiment arrived in Shaanxi, the destination of the Long March, Han was already promoted to commanding a battalion in the 15th Corps . Soon after arriving in Shaanxi, Han led his battalion in the Laoshan Campaign . His forces ambushed Nationalist forces and won. After the campaign in October 1935, Han was promoted to Colonel of the 78th Division, 223rd Regiment for efforts in the campaign.

East and West March

In February, 1936, Han was transferred to the newly established Red 75th Division, 224th Regiment as Colonel, and participated in Mao Zedong's ''East March'' . The purpose is to establish a Communist position in Shanxi . In April, Han became Deputy Division Dommander of the 75th Division and one month later, the Division Commander. Soon after returning to Shanbei, Shaanxi, Han joined the ''West March'' . Han's forces attacked and occupied Dingbian County , and Yanchi County , destroying the 's 2 cavalry battalions and 1 security regiment. Over 700 horses and a large quantity of supplies were gained for the Communist war effort.

Shanchengbao Campaign

Not only did Chiang Kai-shek refuse the Communist's plea to unite against the Japanese, he sent the Nationalist 1st, 3rd, 37th, Northeast 67th Armies, including a cavalry Army to destroy the new Communist base in Shaanxi. In the campaign, Han's 15th Corps was assigned to lure the Nationalist's 87th Division to Shanchengbao area. The Nationalist 87th Division took the bait, and was attacked from 3 sides by Red 15th Corps and several other corps on November 21. The battle continued until noon the next day when the Communists successfully destroyed over 1 brigade. Other Nationalist forces were in retreat as well. Shaanxi was successfully defended, and became the heartland of future Communist activities. The Nationalist's failures also promoted the 'Second United Front' against Japan. After the campaign in early 1937, Han went to the military academy in Yan'an to learn strategies against the Japanese Imperial Army.

Second Sino-Japanese War

Following the between the two countries, and according to terms of the 'Second United Front', the 15th Corps was renamed to the National Revolutionary Army's 8th Route Army, 115th Division, 344th Brigade. Han was assigned the 344th Brigade's 688th Regiment's Deputy Colonel.

Battle of Pingxingguan

In September 1937, Japanese 5th Division, under the command of Itagaki Seishiro, was advancing through Pingxingguan . Lin Biao's 115th Division, including Han, laid an ambush and defeated the Japanese. The battle resulted in a minor, morale-boosting victory in which the Communists were able to capture a cache of weapons and annihilate a Japanese brigade. After the battle, Han remained stationed at Pingxingguan to halt further Japanese advances.

Hainan Campaign

Korean War

Han was the Commander of 40th Army under 15th Army Group. After Hainan Campaign at May 1950, was assigned as one of four strategic armies deployed at Henan Province. Soon after the Korean War broke off, 40th Army was sent to Korea as one of the four armies firstly entering Korea. Han was promoted as the Vice Commander of the . On October 25, 1950, 40th Army fired the first shot of Sino-US military conflict in Korea. China claimed it was the first day of its involvement in Korean War. 40th Army participated 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Phase Offensives. It was fighting at the West Front. Han was in charge of the compaignes at the West Front by heading a small commanding headquarter. For most of the time, his commanding headquarter consisted of only three people and always on the road. Under his command, 116th Division of the 40th Army was the first to capture Seoul on January 6, 1951.

Post-war

Hong Xuezhi

2008-09-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

Hong Xuezhi was a general in the Chinese Red Army and a politician in the Peoples Republic of China. He is the only person promoted to general both in 1955 and in 1988.

Biography

Born in Jinzhai county, Anhui Province, Hong joined communist guerrilla in 1928 and the Chinese Communist Party in 1929. He gained power during the Encirclement Campaigns in the Chinese Civil War. In 1935, Hong joined the Long March with the Fourth Red Army. Later he joined the Hundred Regiments Offensive.

During the Korean War, Hong was the deputy commander and director of logistics of the People's Volunteer Army. He joined negotiating the Korean Armistice in 1953, and in 1955, he was promoted to the general rank, the highest rank in the army.

Hong was removed from his position in 1959 for his connection of Peng Dehuai, the defense minister fired for criticizing Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward policies.

After the Cultural Revolution, Hong was rehabilitated. He joined the Central Military Commission and became the vice chairman of the 7th and 8th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committees. In 1989, Hong retired from the position of the deputy secretary-general of the Central Military Commission.

Hong married to Zhang Wen, with her they have three sons and five daughters, including Hong Hu, the Governor of the Jilin Province between 1999 and 2004.

Huang Xianzhong

2008-09-09T07:12:00.010-07:00

Huang Xianzhong is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current political commissar of the PLA Shenyang Military Region.

Huang graduated from the department of missile engineering of the PLA Institute of Military Engineering in Harbin. He was the vice political commissar of the Liaoning provincial military region. In April 1999, Huang was appointed director of the political department of PLA National Defense University. He was elevated to political commissar of the University in January 2003. He was appointed to his present post as political commissar of the Shenyang Military Region in 2005. He attained the rank of lieutenant general in 2004, and general on July 15, 2008.

Huang was elected as a member of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the 16th Communist Party of China National People's Congress. He is a current member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Huang Kecheng

2008-09-09T07:12:00.009-07:00

Huang Kecheng is one of ten senior generals of People's Liberation Army.

Biography

General Huang Kecheng was born in 1902 in Yongxing County, Hunan Province of China. He graduated from Hunan state's 3rd Normal School in 1920, and joined Communist Party of China in 1925. He led Yongxing campaign during Xiangnan campaign in 1928, and participated major battles encountered by Red Army Third Division. Upon arrival on North Shaanxi, he was promoted to the director of general political and organizational department. At the beginning Second Sino-Japan War, he was the political commissar of 344 brigade, affiliated to 115 division of Eighth Route Army. Along with Xu Haidong , he led the army to fight in regions across Shanxi, Hebei and Henan. After 1940, he was the political commissar of Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army, and later the deputy and logistics commander of Northeastern Democratic Alliance Army.

He was appointed as the party's secretary of Tianjing City. Since the establishment of People's Republic of China, his duties include state secretary of Hunan Province, Commander of Hunan Military Region and political commissar, deputy director of chief staff and director of general logistics, deputy minister of national defense, secretary general of CMC and director of chief staff of PLA.

He was made a senior general in 1955, and awarded Class One Eight-One medal, Class One Independence and Freedom medal, and Class One Liberation medal.

In 1959, he was denounced as a member of "Anti-Party group" along with Peng Dehuai, because he criticized the "Great Leap Forward" and "People's Commune". He was deprived of all positions and was under investigation for long time. He was later persecuted again during Cultural Revolution.

He re-emerged in 1977 and was appointed as advisor to the Central Military Commission, and executive secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He was an alternate and then formal member of 7th Central Committee of CPC, and a member of and secretary. He was selected as central committee member again in 1978.

He died on December 28, 1986 in Beijing.

Ji Shengde

2008-09-09T07:12:00.007-07:00

Ji Shengde was a major-general in charge of military intelligence in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China until June 1999 when he was removed from his post after being implicated in a smuggling scandal centered on the Fujian port of Xiamen. Originally Ji was sentenced to death by President Jiang Zemin in mid-2000, but a compromise sentence of 20 years in jail was eventually reached.

U.S. Democratic National Committee fund-raiser Johnny Chung testified before U.S. Congress in May 1999 that Ji gave him $300,000 American dollars to donate to the .}

Ji is the son of the late Ji Pengfei who was foreign minister in 1972 when U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China.

Jing Zhiyuan

2008-09-09T07:12:00.005-07:00

Jing Zhiyuan is a general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. His ancestors are from Linmu, in Shandong province, and he was born in Xiangfan city, in Hubei province.

Biography

Jing joined the People's Liberation Army in August of 1963. From November of 1985 to February of 1993, he served as the head of the base general staff and the deputy commander of the Second Artillery Corps. He became a major general in the PLA in July of 1990. From 1993 to February of 1999, Jing served as the commander of the base of the Second Artillery Corps. From 1999 to January of 2003, he served as the head of the general staff of the Corps and a member of the Communist Party of China standing committee for it. He became a Lieutenant General in July of 2000. In 2003, he returned to his previous post as commander of the Second Artillery Corps. In September of 2004, he was chosen to become a member of the . He was elevated to his present rank of General on September 25, 2004.

Lei Mingqiu

2008-09-09T07:12:00.003-07:00

Lei Mingqiu is a general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China.

Lei was born in Qidong, Hunan Province. He entered aeronautic engineering school in Zhuzhou, Hunan in 1959. He joined the PLA in August 1962, and the Communist Party of China in June 1964. In 1971, he became an official at political department of PLA Guangzhou Military Region. He entered PLA political academy in 1980. In 1982, he was promoted to director of political department of army division. He became a vice political commissar of army corps in 1983, and political commissar of army corps in 1985. In November 1992, he was elevated to the director of political department of Guangzhou Military Region. In December 1994, he was transferred to Nanjing Military Region and became vice political commissar, secretary of commission for discipline inspection, and a CPC standing committee member of that MR. He was promoted to political commissar of Nanjing Military Region in December 2000. In March 2008, he was appointed as vice director of ethnicity committee of National People's Congress.

He attained the rank of major general in September 1988, lieutenant general in July 1994, and a general in 2004.

He was a member of 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Central Committee of Communist Party of China, and is a current standing committee member of 11th National People's Congress.

Deng Changyou

2008-09-09T07:12:00.001-07:00

Deng Changyou is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China and the current political commissar of the PLA Air Force.

Biography

Born in Pengxi, Sichuan Province, Deng joined the PLA in March 1968, and the Communist Party of China in May 1970. In June 1990, he was appointed the director of the political department of the Air Force & headquarters. In January 1993, he became the political commissar of the Air Force 9th corps. In July 1996, he was promoted to vice political commissar and secretary of discipline commission of the Lanzhou Military Region. In March 1997, he became the vice director of the political department of the PLA Air Force, and was promoted to director in November of the same year. In May 2002, he was promoted to his current post of political commissar of the PLA Air Force. He has also been a member of the and .

Ding Wenchang

2008-09-09T07:11:00.010-07:00

Ding Wenchang is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China.

Born in , Anhui Province, he joined the army in July 1951 and Joined Communist Party of China in May 1956. He graduated from PLA 16th infantry school, and also studied in 5th preparatory group of Air Force and the 10th aeronautics school of PLA.

In January 1954, he became a mechanist in a division of Air Force, supervisor assistant in organization section of political department of the division and the vice political commissar of airplane group. He was appointed secretary of secretariat of political department of Air Force in March 1966. In October 1970, he was elevated to vice section chief and later section chief of cadres section in political department of Air Force, and vice director of cadre section of political department of Air Force in PLA Shenyang Military Region.

In May 1980, he became vice political commissar of air-arm division of Air Force. In July 1981, he was promoted to director of cadre section of political department of Air Force in Shenyang Military Region. He became a vice political commissar of Air Force army corps in May 1983. From September 1983 to January 1984, he was studying at CPC Central Party School. In November 1985, he became vice director of political department of Air Force. He was made director of political department and standing committee member of CPC committee in Air Force. From March to May of 1989, he was trained as a senior official at PLA National Defense University. From November 1992 to January 1999, he served as political commissar and Party chief of PLA Air Force.

Ding was a delegate to 7th National People's Congress, and was a member of 14th and 15th Central Committee of CPC.

He was awarded the rank of major general of Air Force in September 1988, lieutenant general of Air Force in July 1990, and general of Air Force in January 1996.

Dong Guishan

2008-09-09T07:11:00.009-07:00

Dong Guishan is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and currently serves as commander of the PLA Tibet provincial military region.

Born in Xiping, Henan Province, Dong joined the army in December 1964, and the Communist Party of China in January 1966. He has served in various posts in Tibet military region during his career, and was elevated to vice chief of staff of the region in June 1988. He was promoted to vice commander of the region in November 1991. He studied at the Nanjing military academy in January 1982, and at the PLA military direction academy from September 1984 to July 1986. In October 1998, he became the director of the Armament Department of the PLA Chengdu Military Region. Since August 2004, he has served as commander of the Tibet Military Region. From November 2004 to October 2006 he was also a standing committee member of the CPC Tibet Autonomous Region committee. In December 2004, he attained the rank of vice post of a large military region. He became a lieutenant general in July 2006.

He is a current member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Dong Qiwu

2008-09-09T07:11:00.007-07:00

Dong Qiwu was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Dong was born in Hejin, Shanxi Province. He attended the military study group founded by Yan Xishan in 1919. He joined the army in 1924, He first was recruited in Liu Zhenghua's army, and later joined National People's Revolution Army, and participated in . After that, he joined Fu Zuoyi's army. Since 918, he actively fought Japanese, and such battles in the Great Wall, Bailingmiao established his reputation. He was promoted to lieutenant general and head of 102 division in 1937, and fought in Pingxingguan battle. In 1946, he became the governor and commander of Suiyuan Province, and later became vice commander of northwest military and political official bureau. On September 19 1949, he announced peaceful liberation of Suiyuan Province. He participated in Korean War, and was the commander of 23 army group of Chinese People's Volunteer Army. He became head of 69 army of PLA in 1953.

He was a delegate to 1st-5th National People's Congress, and a member of standing committee of 4th and 5th NPC. A member of 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th National Political Consultative Conference, and vice chairman of 5th and 6th NPCC. He served as a member of 1st-3rd National Defense Commission.

He was made a general in 1955.

He died on 3 March 1989 in Beijing.

Fan Changlong

2008-09-09T07:11:00.005-07:00

Fan Changlong is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current commander of the PLA's Jinan Military Region. Fan was born in Dandong, Liaoning Province. He joined the PLA and the Communist Party of China in 1969. He became a major general in 1995, a lieutenant general in 2002, and general on July 15, 2008. Fan has been an alternate member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and a full member of the .

Fang Fenghui

2008-09-09T07:11:00.003-07:00

Fang Fenghui is a lieutenant general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China.

Fang was born in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. He joined the PLA in February 1968. In December 2003, he became a standing committee member of the Communist Party of China committee and chief of staff of the PLA's Guangzhou Military Region. He was promoted to the post of commander of the Beijing Military Region in 2007. He achieved the rank of major general in 1998, and lieutenant general in July 2005. He is currently a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Fu Tinggui

2008-09-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

Fu Tinggui is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the political commissar in PLA Beijing Military Region.

Born in Panshan, Liaoning Province, Fu joined the army in December 1963 and joined Communist Party of China in April 1966.

From September 1985 to July 1988, he studied in basic department of PLA National Defense University. In August 1991, he was promoted to director of political department of Jilin provincial military region. From August 1994 to July 2001, he was political commissar of a army group. He studied at CPC Central Party School from August 1992 to December 1994, majoring in economics management. From March - July 2001, he was enrolled in a training program for senior officials at PLA National Defense University. From July 2001 to December 2003, he was director of political department and a standing committee member of CPC committee in Beijing Military Region. Since December 2003, he has been serving as political commissar of Beijing MR.

Fu was made major general in July 1994, lieutenant general in July 2002, and general on June 24 2006.

He was a member of 16th CPC Central Committee, and is a current member of 17th Central Committee.

Fu Quanyou

2008-09-09T07:10:00.010-07:00

Fu Quanyou is a general of the People's Republic of China.

Fu was born in Chun County , Shanxi Province in 1930. He joined the People's Liberation Army in October 1946, and joined the Communist Party of China in August 1947.

He joined Chinese People's Volunteer Army in February 1953 and fought in Korea until October 1958 when he returned to homeland. In 1960 he graduated from PLA's higher military academy. He became the commander of Chengdu Military Region in June 1985, and the commander of Lanzhou Military Region in May 1990. From October 1992 to September 1995, he was the director of the General Logistics Department of PLA. He was promoted to the head of General Staff Department of PLA in September 1995. He had been a member of Central Military Commission since October 1992. He retired in March 2003.

He was a member of 12th - 15th CPC central committee, and a delegate in the 8th and 9th National People's Congress. He was made lieutenant general in 1988, and a general in 1993.

Gan Siqi

2008-09-09T07:10:00.009-07:00

Gan Siqi , born as Jiang Fengwei , other name Jiang Bingkun , was a general of the People's Liberation Army of China.

Gan was born in Ningxiang County, Hunan Province. He joined the Communist Youth League in 1925, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1926. He went to the Soviet Union in 1927 to study at Moscow Zhongshan University. He came back in 1930, and became political director in Red Six Army Group and Red Two Army Group. He participated in the Long March.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was the director of political department of 120 division of Eighth Route Army.

During the Chinese Civil War, he was the director of political department in No. 1 Field Army.

After formation of the People's Republic of China, he was the vice political commissar and director of political department of Chinese People's Volunteer Army. Later he became vice director of the General Political Department of PLA.

He was made a general in 1955.

He was a delegate to the 1st National People's Congress, a deputy of 7th CPC National Congress, and an alternate member of 8th CPC Central Committee.

His wife, Li Zheng, is the first female major general in PRC.

Ge Zhenfeng

2008-09-09T07:10:00.007-07:00

Ge Zhenfeng is a general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as executive vice chief of staff of General Staff Department of PLA.

Born in Qingyuan, Hebei Province, Ge joined the PLA in June 1962 and the Communist Party of China in July 1965. In 1984, he became the vice chief of staff of PLA army corps. In 1988, he was promoted to chief of staff of 39th army corps. He became the commander of 64th army corps in 1992. In November 1996, he was elevated to chief of staff of PLA Shenyang Military Region. He became vice commander of Shenyang MR in January 1999. In December 2000, he was appointed as vice president of PLA National Defense University. In July 2001, he became the president of PLA Academy of Military Science. Since November 2002, he has served as executive vice chief of staff in General Staff Department of PLA.

He was made lieutenant general in 1998, and awarded the rank of general on June 20 2004.

Ge was a member of 16th Central Committee of Communist Party of China, and a current member of 17th Central Committee of CPC.

Cao Gangchuan

2008-09-09T07:10:00.005-07:00

Cao Gangchuan is vice chairman of Central Military Commission and former of the People's Republic of China. He was also state councilor and director of the PLA General Armament Department.

Biography

Cao Gangchuan, native of Wugang, Henan Province, was born in December 1935. For two years from 1954 he was a student of Nanjing No. 3 Artillery Ordnance Technical School and No.1 Ordnance Technical School. Then in 1956, he became a teacher of the No. 1 Ordnance Technical School. In the same year he attended the PLA Dalian Russian-Language School, before spending six years from 1957 at the Military Engineering School of the Artillery Corps of the Soviet Union. On returning in China in 1963 he was Assistant of Ammunition Division of Ordnance Department of PLA General Logistics Department, until 1969, when he became Assistant of Munitions Division in the same department.

He was promoted in 1975 to a staff officer and deputy director of General Planning Division of Military Equipment Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff. Then in 1982 he was made deputy director of Military Equipment Department. Steadily moving through the ranks of the PLA's hierarchy, in 1989 he was made director of Military Affairs Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff, then one year later, director of the Office of Military Trade of Central Military Commission. For four years from 1992 he was deputy chief of the general staff of PLA.

He became a Minister for the first time in 1996 as Minister of Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Then in 1998 he gained control of the PLA General Armament Department. In 1998 he was made a member of the CPC Central Military Commission and director and secretary of Party committee of PLA General Armament Department. From 2002 to 2003 he was a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission; director and secretary of Party committee of PLA General Armament Department.

In March 2003, he was also appointed as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China as well as state councilor.

He was a member of the 15th CPC Central Committee, and was a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee and member of the 16th CPC Politburo.

Chang Wanquan

2008-09-09T07:10:00.003-07:00

Chang Wanquan is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He is the current director of the PLA General Armaments Department and a member of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China.

Born in Nanyang, Henan Province, Chang joined the PLA in March 1968, and the Communist Party of China in November of the same year. From January 2002 to December 2004, he was the chief of staff and a CPC committee member of the PLA Lanzhou Military Region. From December 2004 to September 2007, he was the commander of the PLA Shenyang Military Region. Since September 2007, he has been serving as the director of the PLA General Armaments Department. In October 2007, he was elected as a member of the Central Military Commission.

He attained the rank of major general in July 1997, lieutenant general in 2003, and full general in October 2007. He has been a member of the and .

Chen Guoling

2008-09-09T07:10:00.001-07:00

Chen Guoling is a lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region.

Biography

Chen was born in Wafangdian, Liaoning Province, and joined the PLA in 1968. He was promoted to the position of political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region in 2007. He attained his present rank of lieutenant general in July 2006. He is an influential theoretician in the PLA. He has published article in the PLA Daily, supporting the study and practice of the Three Represents concept in the military. He is also a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Chen Zaidao

2008-09-09T07:09:00.010-07:00

Chen Zaidao was a general in the People's Liberation Army, who commanded the Wuhan Military Region 1954-67. He is most noted for having arrested pro-Mao Xie Fuzhi and during the Wuhan Incident in July 1967. He was promptly dismissed after the incident, but was rehabilitated in 1972 and entered the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978.

References:

* Thomas W. Robinson. "The Wuhan Incident: Local Strife and Provincial Rebellion During the Cultural Revolution," ''The China Quarterly'' , 47: pp. 413-18.

Chen Bingde

2008-09-09T07:09:00.009-07:00

Chen Bingde is a General in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. He was the Director-General of the PLA's General Armaments Department until September 2007. In this position he acted as the head of the space program of China. Currently, he is the Commanding General of People's Liberation Army General Staff Department in Beijing.

Biography

He joined the Communist Party of China in 1962 and has been a member of the CPC Central Military Commission since 2004. He was former chief of the Nanjing Military Command, a crucial region in Beijing's military strategy against Taiwan.

In 2004, he was promoted to the director of the General Armament Department of PLA as well as the secretary of CPC's committee there. In 2007, he was promoted to the direct of General Staff Department of PLA.

He was made a major general in September 1988, a lieutenant general in July 1995, and a general in 2002.

He is a member of CPC's 15th, 16th and 17th central committee.

Chen Geng

2008-09-09T07:09:00.007-07:00

Chen Geng (: 陈赓; Pinyin: Chén Gēng; was a Chinese Communist military leader.

Early life

Born in Hunan province, Chen Geng joined Communist Party of China in 1922 and enrolled Whampoa Military Academy in 1924. Chen, along with Jiang Xianyun and He Zonghan, was called three best students of Whampoa Military Academy. Chen earned Chiang Kai-shek's deep trust and became the commander of Chiang's garrison. In October 1925, during the second campaign against local warlord Chen Jiongming, Chiang's vanguard force, the 3rd Division commanded by General Tan Shuqing , ventured too fast and too isolated in their advance after taking Huizhou, Chen Jiongming's base, and was ambushed by Chen Jiongmin's force commanded by warlord Lin Hu at Huayang . Against the advise of Chen Geng, Chiang insisted on going to the frontline to command, but situation was impossible: after beheading half a dozen deserters and personally led the charge with a sabre in hand in an attempt to counterattack, General Tan Shuqing was unable to control his fleeing troops and the force completely collapsed. Chiang was so ashamed and refused to flee, and attempted to commit suicide. Chen Geng succeeded in taking aways Chiang's pistol and carried Chiang away from the battlefield by force, and thus saved the life of Chiang Kai-shek, whom in turn, trusted him even more. However, when the Kuomintang broke with the Communists in 1927, Chen began to work as a secret agent for Communists in Shanghai.

In March 1933, Chen Geng was sent to Shanghai to have better medical treatment of his leg wounds, but he was captured by Kuomintang, however, because he had saved life of Chiang Kai-shek - Kuomintang's leader, his life was spared. Chiang was still very grateful to Chen and order his transfer to a much better facility to put Chen under house arrest instead of jail like ordinary prisoners, but taking this opportunity, Chen Geng escaped a month later with the help of communist agents. Once again, Chiang spared Chen for saving Chiang's life previously by not ordering the nationalist military and police to capture Chen at all cost like other important communist figures, but instead, claimed that Chen was to be released soon anyway.

After his escape in Nanjing, Chen Geng was ordered by the communists to return to communist base in Jiangxi via train, but he was recognized by nationalist officers riding on the same train. The former vice president of Whampoa Military Academy in charge of educational affairs, General Qian Dajun , Chen's instructor at Whampoa Military Academy, also happened to be on the same train, and like his followers, he also recognized Chen Geng. General Qian ordered his deputy to invite Chen for diner at his personal coach, and Chen initially refused, trying to disguise as a businessman, but his attempt only drew laugh from the nationalist officers, since both knew the try identities of each other. Knowing he was discovered, Chen had to go to General Qian Dajun's coach, and the two chatted for a while, when General Qian revealed that he was sent by Chiang Kai-shek to Jiangxi to help to plan another campaign to exterminate the communists. Chen was obviously nervous and made an excuse to leaving, claiming that he had to get off the train after the train had passed Xuzhou and General Qian let him go. Chen Geng then boarded the same train and sat in the corner of a different section in a different coach in order to reach his destination, but once again, General Qian's deputy officer appeared in front of him with a big smile on his face:"Mr. Chen, you haven't gotten off the train yet, General Qian is asking for you again." Chen Geng had no choice but to go and this time he stayed longer and finished meal with General Qian Dajun before he was finally let go. Chen and General Qian's subordinates were equally baffled why General Qian let Chen Geng escape, and General Qian revealed later that since Chiang would not order Chen Geng executed and allowed his escape by claiming Chen was to be released anyway, arresting Chen Geng and having him executed would put Chiang in a very difficult position because public opinion would blame Chiang. Furthermore, general Qian Dajun personally like the excellent student who was a favorite of his despite their political difference, and thus allowed Chen to escape. Chen eventually managed to enter the Communists' base in Jiangxi and later completed the Long March in 1935.

Military Experiences

When the Sino-Japanese War broke out, the Communists' Red Army organized as the Eighth Route Army and Chen Geng was appointed the chief commander of the 386th Brigade. He led 386th brigade won several battles against Japanese and his brigade had been called the best brigade in China by Evans F. Carlson. In 1940, he commanded his brigade in ShanXi during the Hundred Regiments Offensive. After Japan's surrender in 1945, Chen's 386th brigade evolved into the 4th Column of the Shanxi – Henan – Hebei – Shandong Military District. He led his troop in many important battles of Chinese Civil War, such as Shangdang Campaign in 1945, Datong-Puzhou Campaign, Linfen-Fushan Campaign and subsequent Lüliang Campaign in 1946, Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain in 1947, and Huaihai Campaign in 1948. By the Chinese civil war ended, the 4th Column became the 4th Army Group and Chen served as Commander and political commissar. His troop entered Yunnan in 1949.

At the request of H&, who was a long time friend of Chen Geng, Chen entered Vietnam and helped Vo Nguyen Giap to launch a series of successful attacks on isolated French bases along the Chinese border in 1950. Back from Vietnam, he went to Korea War and served as the Commander and political commissar of the 3rd Army Group of Chinese People's Volunteer Army. When the Commander of Volunteer Army, Peng Dehuai went back to China, Chen worked as the acting Commander. He was made a Da Jiang in September, 1955. Chen Geng's borther-in-law, Tan Zheng , who is married to Chen Geng's younger sister Chen Qiuju , was heavily influenced by Chen Geng and thus joined revolution, and was also rewarded the rank of Da Jiang with Chen Geng in the same time.

Back from Korea War, Chen founded the Military Engineering Academy in Harbin, engaging in developing high-tech weapons. This school became one of the most famous universities in China within a few years. Although defuncted in 1970, many military engineering colleges today in China such as the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, can traced their origins to the Military Engineering Academy. Due to this experience, Chen later focused on the ballistic missile program and nuclear weapon program of China. However, he didn't see the success of these programs. He died of heart attack in 1961.

Personal life

Chen Geng is also famous for his straight forward and humorous personality. He often joked with his colleague, even with senior officers such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Lin Biao, and he has been said as the only one that dared to joke with Peng Dehuai. Chen's first wife is Wang Genying , who was killed by Japanese troops in late 1938 in southern Hebei during a Japanese mop up operation. His second wife is Fu Ya .

In addition to his daring, Chen Geng was also known for his cunning, which he used to his advantage among his comrades just like the way he fought his nationalist adversaries: during the time at Yan'an, the communists faced great material shortage and there was time that not enough food was available. To help to increase food supply, communists tried anything possible, and the commander-in-chief of the communist forces, Zhu De, took a good care of an apple tree in his yard and Chen Geng convinced his buddy, another communist commander Chen Xilian to "harvest" the apples in Zhu De's yard when the apples were ripe: since Zhu De only had a single body guard and the local garrison for the communist leaders had to patrol all of the residence of communist leaders, Chen Geng came up with the idea of Chen Xilian would go to Zhu De's residence during windy days when the local garrison was away patrolling other areas, and Chen Xilian would talk to both Zhu De's and his wife as well as his bodyguard to distract them by keeping them in the room, while Chen Geng would in the yards to use a stick to get as many apples on the ground as possible. Chen Geng would then go to Zhu De's room and pretends to meet Chen Xilian by accident and as the two were leaving, Chen Geng would tell Zhu De that there were so many apples on the ground and they would like to have some. Zhu De always agreed and the two would take as many as possible. When asked why not just taking the apples and leave or just letting a single person to take the apples, Chen Geng humorously but honestly answered that he discovered when asking instead of stealing, Zhu De would always help them to load apples into their bags and pockets, and he was capitalizing on Zhu De's free labor. In addition, Zhu De had always given a slightly higher amount per capita when more people were present in comparison to a single person. Everybody would then burst into laughs, accusing Chen Geng of stealing the apples and exploiting the commander-in-chief free labor to help thieves like Chen Geng to steal his own apples. It was rumored that Zhu De already realized Chen's trick but allowed it to be played out because he like to help his fellow comrades.

Anther example of Chen Geng's cunning was that every communists cadre must volunteer his/her own labor for production or construction, and Chen Geng, was assigned as one of those to build Yan'an airfield with his buddy Chen Xilian. Chen Geng told Chen Xilian that they were wasting energies by walking a long distance and pushing a cart on the way, and suggested that he would allow Chen Xilian to ride the cart, and he would push, so that once they reached the construction site, they would have more energy to contribute to actual work. On the way back to home, the role would be reversed with Chen Geng would be riding in the cart and Chen Xilian being the one would do the pushing. Chen Xilian was originally very happy to do so, but soon discovered that he was played by Chen Geng: on the way to work, it was not a problem of pushing the cart with a man in it because the day was just starting and no work was done. However, once off work, everybody was so tired because of the hard work and pushing a cart with a man in it was very exhausting. Obviously Chen Xilian demanded the practice to be changed with the two rotating the roles, Chen Geng refused and even though Chen Xilian stopped the practice after Chen Geng's refusal, Chen Geng already had a week's free ride.

In August, 1948 at Wuhan, Chen Geng played a role as a matchmaker by introducing the younger sister, Ms. Wang Xuanmei of his late-first wife to his buddy, the communist military commander Chen Xilian, who is now the commander -in-chief of communist III Corps, whose first wife named Su Ge died of illness in the autumn of 1948. Ms. Wang Xuanmei and Mr. Chen Xilain soon married afterwards, and the two family remained good friends even after the death of Chen Geng.

Chen Qihan

2008-09-09T07:09:00.005-07:00

Chen Qihan was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.

Chen was born in Xingguo, Jiangxi Province. He secretly joined the Communist Party of China in 1925.

In October 1930, Chen became the head of Teaching regiment of Red Third Army. Shortly he became the chief of staff in Red Fourth Army, and later chief of staff in Red Third Army. In March 1932, he became the chief of staff in Red First Army Group.

After 1943, he studied at Central Party School of CPC.

In 1945, he became the vice commander of Ji-Re-Liao Military Region, and went to Northeast. In winter of 1947, he was the vice commander of East Man Military Region. In summer of 1948, he became commander of Liaoning Military Region. After Liao-Shen campaign, he became the chief of staff in Northeast Military Region.

In May 1949, he was appointed as the commander of Jiangxi Military Region, and in 1952 became the chairman of Jiangxi Political Consultative Conference.

He was made a general in 1955.

He died on 19 June 1981 in Beijing.

Chen Xilian

2008-09-09T07:09:00.003-07:00

Chen Xilian was a general of People's Liberation Army of China and a member of the Central Committee Politburo.

Chen was born in Huang'an, Hubei Province of China in 1915. He joined his local Chinese Red Army guerrilla unit in 1929, and the Communist Youth League a year later. He was an army general from 1955 and a year later an Alternate Member of the 8th Central Committee . Chen was a member of the CCP Politburo through three party congresses , but fell afoul of Deng Xiaoping’s reforms and was demoted with three colleagues dubbed the “Small Gang of Four” to mere CC status in February 1980. Chen was assigned to the Standing Committee of the party Central Advisory Committee in September 1982.

1930s

In the early 1930s, Chen Xilian served in the 4th Front Army as a political instructor and communications man, moving up the ranks to Regiment political commissar in 1934. His unit, which was led by Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian and Li Xiannian, included such future leaders as Qin Jiwei. They fought Sichuan warlords on the western leg of the Long March. At the close of the Long March, Chen – like his colleagues Xu Shiyou and Yu Qiuli – would find himself on the wrong side of the Mao Zedong-Zhang Guotao dispute, and badly battered by Muslim cavalry and warlord armies. After the fighting, Chen emerged as a division commander and reached Yan'an in late 1935. He was assigned to the 129th Division of Eighth Route Army, which later became the core of the 2nd Field Army of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping.

On October 19, 1937 he led the 769th Regiment, First Column, against Japanese units defending Yangmingbao airport, destroying 24 planes, and killing more than 100 Japanese soldiers, which alleviated the air threat on the Xikou Front. Chen at this time served under Xu Xiangqian with future generals Xu Shiyou, Xu Haidong and Han Xianchu.

1940s

In the Summer of 1940, Chen’s unit participated in the Hundred Regiments Campaign near Taiyuan, and by September had succeeded the reassigned Xu Shiyou as 385th Brigade Commander; his political commissar at the time was future Public Security Minister Xie Fuzhi.

After a brief stint at the Central Party School in Yan'an , Chen in September 1945 was commander of the Second Military Subdistrict in Southern Hebei. His 385th Brigade combined with local unites to create the 7th Brigade, which eventually became the 3rd Column of the Central Plains Field Army. His Deputy Commander, Zeng Shaoshan, and other key officers remained with Chen through the and Crossing the campaigns, and for many years thereafter.

In the Spring of 1949, after the fall of Nanjing, Chen’s 3rd Army moved into Zhejiang, and saw action at Hangzhou and Shanghai. His unit remained in place while his co-commanders, Chen Geng and , embarked on the South-west Campaign. As the Civil War wound down, Chen was left in command of a key region of Eastern China. Among his 2nd Field Army subordinates to later rise in power were future politburo members Xie Fuzhi, Li Desheng and Liu Huaqing.

1950s

In 1950, he was appointed CCP 1st Secretary and Mayor of Chongqing, Sichuan. He was also the commander of PLA's at East Sichuan region and a member of the Southwest Military Administrative Committee, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, He Long and Liu Bocheng. He was then assigned as commander of the entire PLA Artillery Corps and president of the Artillery Academy.

In 1955, Chen was assigned the rank of general, and the following year made an Alternate Member of the CCP Central Committee. In 1958, the PLA opened up a massive and sustained artillery barrage against the Nationalist-held island of Quemoy . General Chen was likely in direct command of the failed 400-piece cannonade.

The purge of Peng Dehuai in 1959 brought down two of his key allies as well: Chief-of-Staff Huang Kecheng and Shenyang MR Commander Deng Hua. Chen Xilian was send to Manchuria to take over from General Deng in one of the most sensitive regions of the Sino-Soviet border. He served in the post until 1973; his deputy was his old comrade in arms, Zeng Shaoshan.

The 1960s, the GPCR and its aftermath

Chen inherited a region in the grip of starvation, due to the policy mismanagement of the Great Leap Forward.
In mid-1963, Chen was promoted to CCP Secretary for the CC Northeast Central Party Bureau, where he worked closely with Song Renqiong. In 1965, Chen was made a member of the National Defense Council, and remained in that post until the organization was abolished in 1975.

Chen was attacked by during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution as one who resisted radicalization. Throughout 1967, he sought to survive by minimally acquiesing to Red Guard demands, placing PLA officers in sensitive positions such as provincial Revolutionary Committees and rapidly promoting inexperienced radicals to high positions. It appears that Chen directed radical hostility toward Song and the regional party apparatus. It is less clear if he deliberately launched the March 1969 border incident with the Soviet Union.

Already a powerful figure in regional military affairs, Chen’s career reached its pinnacle during the Cultural Revolution. He was elevated to the Politburo at the 1969 9th National Party Congress and, as the PLA took over regional administration, became CCP 1st Secretary of Liaoning Province .

In 1971, Chen was the first MR commander to denounce Lin Biao following his alleged coup d'état attempt and subsequent death. The Writing Group of Liaoning Provincial Party Committee, an origin under General Chen's direct and complete control, launched an attack on Lin in the November 1971 issue of "Red Flag" .

After being reelected to the politburo in 1973, Chen traded his Northeast power base for the leadership of the Beijing Military Region command in January 1974 and remained in that post until January 1980, when he was replaced by Qin Jiwei. He was named Vice Premier in the mid-1970s, a title he retained until his downfall in 1980.

In 1976, following the death of Zhou Enlai and subsequent purge of Deng Xiaoping, General Chen is thought to have briefly acted as Defense Minister and Military Affairs Commission secretary-general, in place of Marshall Ye Jianying. While some sources give credit to Chen for managing the arrest of the Gang of Four in the September coup d'état, others give full credit to Wang Dongxing

Deng Xiaoping's 1977 re-emergence led to the exoneration of the very people who had facilitated General Chen Xilian's rapid rise in power, by being victims of Mao's purges. Peng Dehuai, Huang Kecheng, Deng Hua and Song Renqiong were rehabilitated in 1977-79, at the expense of Chen's power. He was purged in February 1980 along with three other beneficaiaries of the Cultural Revolution: Wu De, Ji Dengkui and Wang Dongxing.

Chi Wanchun

2008-09-09T07:09:00.001-07:00

Chi Wanchun is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, and the current political commissar of the PLA General Armaments Department.

Born in Wendeng, Shandong Province, Chi graduated from the Harbin Institute of Military Engineering in 1970, majoring in aeronautic weapons. He joined the Communist Party of China in April 1971. In December 1986, he was the director of the political department affiliated with the Logistics Department of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense . In August 1988, he became vice political commissar of the Xi'an Satellite Control Center affiliated with COSTIND. In February 1993, he became political commissar of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. He was promoted to vice director of the political department of COSTIND in 1995, and further promoted to director of the political department of the PLA General Armaments Department in January 1999. He became the political commissar of PLA National Defense University in June 1999. In October 2002, he became political commissar of the PLA General Armament Department.

He attained the rank of major general in July 1993, lieutenant general in July 2000, and full general on June 24, 2006.

Chi was previously a member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and is currently a member of the .

Chi Haotian

2008-09-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

General Chi Haotian is a general of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Chi was born July, 1929 in Zhaoyuan, , China. In October, 1946 he joined the . He was recruited to the army in July 1945, and graduated from the synthesis department of Military Academy of PLA.

In 1973, he became the vice political commissar of Beijing Military Region, and vice editor in chief of a prominent newspaper "People's Daily". He later became vice director of the general staff department of PLA and the director of political department under it, the political commissar of Jinan Military Region, and the head of the general staff department of PLA as well as the secretary of CPC's committee there. He was elected as a member of central military commission in 1988.

In 1993 Chi became a state council member and the until 2003. He was also the director of the Law of National Defense Draft Commission. He was elected to the vice chairman of central military commission of CPC in September 1995, and CMC of the state in December that year.

He was elected as a member of central committee of CPC's 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th National Congresses, and a Politburo member at 15th Congress.

He was awarded First-class honor in 1952, and Third-Class Liberation medal in 1985. He was made general in 1988.

His habits include reading books, especially those of Lu Xun's and military ones. He's good at swimming, horse-riding and wrestling. He used to be the honorary Chairman of Chinese Wrestling Association.

His wife is Jiang Qinping. She is a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu province, and was a doctor in the Navy's general hospital of PLA. The couple has a son and a daughter.