Chinese President Xi Jinping's key ally in taking control of the military, Xu Qiliang, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, passed away suddenly.
State-run Xinhua News Agency and others reported on the 3rd that Xu Qiliang died on the 2nd. He was 75 years old.
According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, senior Beijing journalist Ma Ling reported via WeChat that Xu Qiliang died of a sudden myocardial infarction while jogging at around 12:12 p.m. local time on the 2nd.
Xinhua News Agency reported his death, calling him “an outstanding leader of the People's Liberation Army.”
According to foreign media, Xu Qiliang played a significant role in aiding President Xi's consolidation of military control and the purging of existing powers after Xi was elected party general secretary in 2012.
He established a connection with President Xi while working in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, from 1988 and serving as party secretary there. It is reported that the two have maintained close relations for over 30 years since that period.
Born in Shandong province in March 1950, Xu Qiliang joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force in July 1966 and joined the Communist Party the following July. After graduating from the Air Force's 5th Aviation School in 1969, he served in the air force for a long time.
He served as deputy chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army in 2004 and as air force commander in 2007 before being exceptionally promoted to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012 as an air force-origin leader.
Particularly in 2017, upon his reappointment as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, he rose to second in the military ranking after President Xi.
Chinese media reported that Xu Qiliang was one of the key vice chairmen of the military commission who led the 'Military Reform Decade' under President Xi's administration. He served as air force commander and led advanced rocket forces and the strategic support force.
After stepping down from major military committee roles in 2022, he provided core intelligence to President Xi in an advisory capacity.