Xu Qiliang - CMC vice-chairman

Xu Qiliang is endorsed as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China at the fifth plenary meeting of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 15, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The following is the biographical sketch of Xu Qiliang:

Xu Qiliang, born in March 1950, is a male ethnic Han from Linqu, Shandong Province. He joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in July 1966 and the Communist Party of China (CPC) in July 1967. He graduated from the PLA Air Force's Fifth Aviation School, and has a junior college education.

He is currently a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice-chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China, and holds the rank of a general in the PLA Air Force.

1966-1966 Student, PLA Air Force's First Aviation Reserve School

1966-1967 Soldier, 335th Regiment, 112th Division, 38th Army, Ground Force

1967-1968 Student, PLA Air Force's Eighth Aviation School

1968-1969 Student, PLA Air Force's Fifth Aviation School

1969-1970 Pilot, 77th Regiment, 26th Division, Air Force

1970-1973 Pilot, Independent Brigade, 26th Division, Air ForceP 1973-1976 Deputy chief, Independent Brigade, 26th Division, Air Force

1976-1980 Chief, Independent Brigade, 26th Division, Air Force

1980-1983 Deputy commander, 26th Division, Air Force; (03/1982-10/1982: took advanced military class at the Air Force Command Academy)

1983-1984 Commander, 26th Division, Air Force

1984-1985 Deputy commander, 4th Army Air Force

1985-1986 Chief of staff, Shanghai Command Post, Air Force

1986-1988 Student, Basic Department, National Defense University

1988-1989 Acting commander, 8th Army, Air Force

1989-1990 Chief of staff, 8th Army, Air Force

1990-1993 Commander, 8th Army, Air Force

1993-1994 Deputy chief of staff, Air Force

1994-1999 Chief of staff, Air Force (09/1994-11/1994: took class for advanced training in campaigns, National Defense University; 07/1998-10/1998: student, Department of National Defense Studies, National Defense University)

1999-2004 Deputy commander and air force commander, Shenyang Military Area Command (03/2001-07/2001: took advanced training class for officers at the rank of general and above, National Defense University)

2004-2007 Deputy chief of the general staff, PLA

2007-2007 Commander, Air Force

2007-2008 Member, CPC Central Military Commission; commander, Air Force

2008-2012 Member, CPC and PRC Central Military Commission; commander, Air Force

2012-2013 Member, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; vice-chairman, CPC Central Military Commission

2013- Member, Political Bureau, CPC Central Committee; vice-chairman, CPC Central Military Commission; vice-chairman, PRC Central Military Commission

Alternate member, Fourteenth and Fifteenth CPC Central Committees; member, Sixteenth and Seventeenth CPC Central Committees; member of the Eighteenth CPC Central Committee and its Political Bureau; appointed as a member of the CPC Central Military Commission at the First Plenary Session of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee; appointed as a member of the PRC Central Military Commission at the First Session of the Eleventh NPC; appointed as vice-chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at the Seventh Plenary Session of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee; appointed as vice-chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at the First Plenary Session of the Eighteenth CPC Central Committee; appointed as vice-chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission at the fifth plenary meeting of the first session of the Twelfth NPC.