China appoints two new CMC vice chairmen

Fan Changlong and Xu Qiliang were appointed vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday.

The seventh Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee made the announcement in a communique upon the closure of the four-day meeting that the CMC was augmented to include Fan and Xu, both members of the 17th CPC Central Committee, as vice-chairmen.

General Fan is currently commander and deputy party chief of the Jinan Military Area Command.

He was born in Dandong city of northeast China's Liaoning Province in May 1947, and joined the CPC in September 1969.

Fan joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in January 1969, and graduated from the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

From January 1969 to September 1985, he served in the artillery regiment of the 16th Corps of the PLA Army.

From 1985 to 1990, Fan served as chief of staff of the 48th Division of the 16th Group Army and in September 1990 he was promoted to commander of the 46th Division of the 16th Group Army.

In 1995, he was promoted to commander of the 16th Group Army and in 2000 to chief of staff of the Shenyang Military Area Command.

In December 2003, he was appointed to be an Assistant Chief of General Staff of the PLA and in 2004 he became the commander and deputy party chief of the Jinan Military Area Command.

Fan was an alternate member the 16th CPC Central Committee and has been a member of the 17th CPC Central Committee.