Xu Qiliang | |
|---|---|
许其亮 | |
.jpg) Xu in 2015 | |
| Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission | |
| In office Party Commission: 4 November 2012 – 23 October 2022 State Commission: 16 March 2013 – 11 March 2023 Serving with Fan Changlong andZhang Youxia | |
| Chairman | Xi Jinping |
| 10thCommander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force | |
| In office September 2007 – October 2012 | |
| Deputy | He Weirong |
| Preceded by | Qiao Qingchen |
| Succeeded by | Ma Xiaotian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1950-03-29)29 March 1950 Linqu County,Shandong, China |
| Died | 2 June 2025(2025-06-02) (aged 75) Beijing, China |
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party (1967–2025) |
| Alma mater | PLA National Defense University |
| Committees | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  China |
| Branch |  People's Air Force |
| Service years | 1966–2023 |
| Rank |  Air Force General |
| Commands |
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Xu Qiliang (Chinese:许其亮;pinyin:Xǔ Qíliàng; 29 March 1950 – 2 June 2025) was a Chinese air force general in thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). He served as aVice Chairman of theCentral Military Commission of theChinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2012 to 2022, and served as a Vice Chairman of theCentral Military Commission of China from 2013 to 2023. He served as a member of the18th and the19thPolitburo of the Chinese Communist Party. He was promoted to Commander of the PLAAF from 2007 to 2012.
Born on 29 March 1950[1] inLinqu County,Shandong, to a peasant's family, Xu entered the PLA and its Air Force No. 1 aeronautic preparatory school in 1966, learned piloting, and joined the Chinese Communist Party 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.[2]
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 thePLA 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.[3]
In 1999, Xu became the vice commander and Air Force commander of theShenyang 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 20 June 2007. Xu also became the commander of the PLA Air Force in 2007.[4] In 2012, he became China's first career air force officer promoted toVice Chairman of the Central Military Commission[4] and was succeeded as Air Force Commander by GeneralMa Xiaotian.[5]
He was also a member of the 19thPolitburo of the Chinese Communist Party. He was an alternate member of the14th and15thCentral Committees of the Chinese Communist Party, and a full member of the16th,17th, and18th Central Committees.[3]
From the 2010s through the 2020s, Xu emphasized developing China's air power and air force digitization.[4] During his ten-year tenure as vice chairman, he played a crucial role in advancingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi Jinping's efforts to strengthen control over the military. He spearheaded major reforms, including the dissolution of the People's Liberation Army's four general departments and replacing them with 15 new offices directly under the Central Military Commission. Additionally, Xu facilitated the restructuring of China's seven military regions into fivetheater commands and oversaw the establishment of key military branches, including the Army Command,Rocket Force andStrategic Support Force.[6]
In July 2018, Xu met in Beijing with theU.S. Secretary of Defense,James Mattis, to discuss regional issues and where the two men each laid out his country's military concerns before the other.[7]
Xu died inBeijing on 2 June 2025, at the age of 75. A statement of condolences issued by the Ministry of National Defense referred him as an "excellent Communist Party of China member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier, a proletarian military strategist, and an outstanding leader of the People's Liberation Army."[8][9] He was cremated during a memorial service at theBabaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on June 8, which was attended by top party and state leaders, including Xi Jinping.[10]
Military ribbons within the People's Republic of China only reflect the wearer's echelon and time in service. Consequently, Xu's ribbon rack, being seven rows high, indicates he was at the Central Military Commission (CMC) level, the gold ribbon with a single star indicates he was a member of the CMC, and the rest of his ribbons indicate his time in service through a combination of one, two, three, and four-year service ribbons totaling forty-six years.[11]
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Order of the Friendship of Peoples (Belarus, 2013)[12]_ribbon_bar.svg)
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Pakistan, 2009)[13].png)
Order of King Abdulaziz (Saudi Arabia, 2017)[14]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Commander of thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force 2007–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theShenyang Military Region Air Force 1999–2004 | Succeeded by |
Officers of the ChinesePeople's Liberation Army Air Force | ||
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| Chiefs of Staff | ||