Vice chairman of CPC Central Military Commission; vice chairman of PRC Central Military Commission; member of Political Bureau and member of Secretariat of 15th CPC Central Committee; director of Chinese PLA Elected Committee; general.

Joined PLA, 1944; and CPC, 1945.

Served as deputy company political instructor in Northeast Democratic United Army, 1947-1948; and chief of a regiment communication section of Northeast Field Army, 1949-1950. Fought in Xinkailing and other campaigns. Rendered great meritorious services in Tashan Blocking Action, 1948; later fought in Peiping-Tientsin (Beijing-Tianjin) and Guangxi campaigns.

Served as a chief of Regiment Combat Section, combat staff officer, 1950-1951, and deputy regiment command and chief of staff, 1956-1958.

Graduated from Basic Department of PLA Nanjing Military Academy, 1961. Later served as a regiment commander, 1962-1966; deputy director of Guangzhou Military Area Command Combat Department, 1968; division commander, 1968-1978, deputy army commander, 1978-1981, and army commander, 1981-1982; deputy commander of PLA Wuhan Military Area Command, deputy commander and commander of PLA Guangzhou Military Area Command and deputy secretary of CPC Committee of the command, 1982-1990; commander of PLA Jinan Military Area Command and deputy secretary of CPC Committee of the command, 1990-1992; chief of PLA General Staff, 1992-1995.

Appointed member of CPC Central Military Commission, 1992, and member of PRC Central Military Commission, 1993; co-opted vice chairman of CPC Central Military Commission, and appointed vice chairman of PRC Central Military Commission, 1995.

Delegate to 9th CPC National Congress, 1969; alternate member of 12th and 13th CPC Central Committees; member of 14th and 15th CPC Central Committees. Elected member of Political Bureau and member of Secretariat, of 15th CPC Central Committee, 1997.

Appointed director of Chinese PLA Elected Committee, November 1997; and vice chairman of PRC Central Military Commission, March, 1998.

Deputy to 8th and 9th NPC.

Granted rank of lieutenant general, 1988, and general, 1993.

Won top merit citations five times. Awarded Order of Liberation (class 3).

Attended the handover ceremony on the transfer of power of Hong Kong as a member of the Chinese Government Delegation, 1997.