Cao Gangchuan ( zh , s = 曹刚川 , t = 曹剛川 , p = Cáo Gāngchuān ; born December 1935) is a Chinese retired general who was the

vice chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defense. He was also state councilor and director of the PLA General Armament Department.

Biography

Cao Gangchuan was born in December 1935 in Wugang,

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

Province. For two years from 1954 he was a student of Nanjing No. 3 Artillery Ordnance Technical School and No.1 Ordnance Technical School. Then in 1956, he became a teacher of the No. 1 Ordnance Technical School. In the same year he attended the PLA Dalian Russian-Language School, before spending six years from 1957 at the Military Engineering School of the Artillery Corps of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. On returning in China in 1963 he was Assistant of Ammunition Division of Ordnance Department of PLA General Logistics Department, until 1969, when he became Assistant of Munitions Division in the same department. He was promoted in 1975 to a

staff officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large milita ...

and deputy director of General Planning Division of Military Equipment Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff. Then in 1982 he was made deputy director of Military Equipment Department. Steadily moving through the ranks of the PLA's hierarchy, in 1989 he was made director of Military Affairs Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff, then one year later, director of the Office of Military Trade of Central Military Commission. For four years from 1992 he was deputy chief of the general staff of PLA. He became a Minister for the first time in 1996 as Minister of Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Then in 1998 he gained control of the PLA General Armament Department. In 1998 he was made a member of the Central Military Commission and director and

Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary A Party Committee Secretary () is the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organization in a province, city, village, or other administrative unit. In most cases, it is the ''de facto'' highest political office of its area of jurisdictio ...

of PLA General Armament Department. From 2002 to 2003 he was a member of the

Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party The Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the executive committee of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Currently, the bureau i ...

, vice chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission; director and secretary of Party committee of PLA General Armament Department. In March 2003, he was appointed as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China as well as state councilor. In March 2008, he was the director and secretary of CCP committee of PLA General Armament Department. He was a member of the

15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was in session from 1997 to 2002. The 14th Central Committee preceded it. It was followed by the 16th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This was the first Central Committee ...

, and was a member of the 16th Central Committee and member of the 16th Politburo.

References

Cao Gangchuan biography @ China Vitae, the web's largest online database of China VIPs

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cao, Gangchuan 1935 births Living people Ministers of national defense of the People's Republic of China People from Pingdingshan People's Liberation Army generals from Henan Members of the 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Members of the 16th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party State councillors of China