Chairman Xi Jinping Name Xu Qiliang Deputy He Weirong Role Armed force officer | Preceded by Qiao Qingchen Party Communist Party of China Allegiance China Succeeded by Ma Xiaotian | |
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Political party Communist Party of China Alma mater PLA National Defence University Education PLA National Defence University Service/branch People's Liberation Army Air Force Commands People's Liberation Army Air Force | ||
US defence secretary holds talks in Beijing
Xu Qiliang (Chinese: 许其亮; pinyin: Xǔ Qíliàng; born March 1950) is an air force general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as Vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and was Commander of the PLAAF from 2007 to 2012.
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Biography
Born in Linqu County, Shandong, he is the son of Xu Lefu, a lieutenant general and former vice political commissar of the PLA Air Force. He entered the PLA and its Air Force No. 1 aeronautic preparatory school in 1966, 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. In October 2012, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and was succeeded as Air Force Commander by General Ma Xiaotian.
He has been an alternate member of the 14th and 15th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China, and a full member of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Central Committees.