Xu Qiliang

Xu Qiliang
Name	Xu Qiliang
Birth date	1950
Birth place	Sihong County, Jiangsu
Allegiance	People's Republic of China
Branch	People's Liberation Army Air Force
Serviceyears	1968–2017
Rank	Air Force General

Xu Qiliang

Xu Qiliang (born 1950) is a retired Chinese People's Liberation Army officer who served as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and as a senior leader of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. He rose through command posts tied to Shenyang Military Region, Guangzhou Military Region, Beijing Military Region and national headquarters agencies, participating in policy implementation that intersected with Chinese Communist Party leadership under Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping.

Early life and education

Xu was born in Sihong County, Jiangsu during the early years of the People's Republic of China. He entered military service amid the later stages of the Cultural Revolution and received training at institutions connected with the People's Liberation Army Air Force Aviation University and PLA staff colleges associated with the National Defense University and PLA Engineering University. His formative years coincided with national campaigns such as the Down to the Countryside Movement and reforms tied to Deng Xiaoping's opening policies, shaping ties to provincial leadership in Jiangsu and military educational networks in Beijing.

Military career

Xu's career trajectory included command positions in PLA Air Force units, staff roles in Shenyang Military Region, and leadership of air force corps linked to modernization programs influenced by Soviet Air Force legacies and later United States Air Force comparisons. He advanced through ranks during the tenure of senior commanders like Lin Biao's historical shadow, operational periods overlapping with the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War aftermath, the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis strategic environment, and equipment procurement initiatives related to aircraft such as the Chengdu J-10 and Shenyang J-11. Xu served on joint planning bodies that engaged with institutions like the General Staff Department (China) and the PLA Air Force Political Department.

Political career and leadership roles

Xu combined military command with political office within the Chinese Communist Party, holding positions on national organs including the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and participating in party-military consultative mechanisms tied to National People's Congress sessions and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection oversight trends. His promotion to higher ranks occurred amid broader leadership reshuffles involving figures such as Hua Guofeng's successors and later contemporaries including Fang Fenghui and Zhang Youxia. Xu's roles intersected with policy arenas influenced by the State Council and strategic planning linked to the Ministry of National Defense (PRC).

Tenure as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission

As Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xu worked under chairmen Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping and alongside vice chairs including Fang Fenghui and Zhang Youxia, participating in high-level decision-making during milestone events such as the 2015 Military Parade and strategic reviews after the 2012 leadership transition. His vice chairmanship entailed interactions with military regions reorganized into newly formed theater commands like the Northern Theater Command and Southern Theater Command, coordination with service chiefs from People's Liberation Army Navy and People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, and engagement in defense initiatives aligned with the One Belt One Road framework.

Military reforms and strategic influence

Xu played a visible role in the PLA's organizational reforms that restructured military regions into theater commands and emphasized joint operations doctrine, initiatives contemporaneous with reform architects within the Central Military Commission and institutional changes led by Xi Jinping. He supported modernization priorities including force projection, aerospace development, and integrated joint command systems that connected programs like the J-20 stealth fighter, Y-20 transport, and expanded People's Liberation Army Rocket Force capabilities. His influence extended into doctrine evolution related to informatization and later intelligentized warfare concepts, aligning with research centers such as the National Defense University and think tanks in Beijing.

International relations and defense diplomacy

Xu represented Chinese military leadership in exchanges with counterpart institutions including the United States Department of Defense, Ministry of National Defense (Japan), Russian Armed Forces, and delegations from Pakistan Armed Forces and ASEAN member militaries. He participated in bilateral and multilateral contacts reflecting strategic dialogues like the China-United States military-to-military relationship track, crisis-management talks following incidents similar in context to the Hainan Island incident, and visits tied to defense cooperation in regions connected to the South China Sea and East China Sea. Xu's diplomacy intersected with defense-industrial cooperation involving corporations like Aviation Industry Corporation of China and procurement strategies influenced by global suppliers.

Personal life and legacy

Xu's personal profile remained low-key compared with some contemporaries; he was noted for long service in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and for embodying the professionalization trend admired by PLA academies and provincial recruitment offices. His legacy is visible in the PLA's shift toward joint operations, aerospace emphasis, and the institutional reforms advanced during the early 21st century under leaders such as Xi Jinping and predecessors like Jiang Zemin. He is associated with the cohort that transitioned the PLA from legacy structures tied to the Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping eras toward the present force posture.

Category:People's Liberation Army Air Force generals Category:Chinese politicians