The former deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Xu Qiliang, passed away in Beijing on Monday at the age of 75. The Central Military Commission is the highest governing body of the People’s Liberation Army of China.
Xu was Deputy Chairman of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army and Commander of the Air Force. Between 2012 and 2022, he also served as Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission. As the CMC’s first deputy who was not from the ground forces, he was a symbol of the growing importance of modern warfare in the Chinese army. Emily Kossak