Xu Qiliang, former top Chinese general close to Xi, dies in Beijing
BEIJING (AP) — Xu Qiliang, a former air force general who was reportedly close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, has died at age 75, according to the Defense MInistry.
Xu had been a vice commissioner of the body that overseas the People's Liberation Army, the military branch of China's ruling Communist Party, during Xi's first few years in government.
China's ultimate leader was at the time incorporating the army and navy into leadership bodies long dominated by the land forces.
Xu was an 'excellent Communist Party of China member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier, a proletarian military strategist, and an outstanding leader of the People's Liberation Army,' said a statement issued by the ministry.
Xu joined the PLA in 1966 just as China was plunged into the violent decade-long Cultural Revolution under Communist China's founder Mao Zedong.
After climbing the ranks, Xu wielded considerable influence as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission without, it appears, falling afoul of China's party anti-corruption forces, who brought down several other high ranking retired and serving military leaders, including two former defense ministers. China has offered no information on the situation involving the pair, stirring rumors of a major shakeup in the ranks concerning corruption or spying for the U.S..
China has not fought a major campaign since the 1950-53 Korean War, so Xu built his career largely on his adherence to the party line and fealty to the leader of the time, who like Xi now, serves as chairman of the Central Military Commission.
In a February 2018 report, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Xu as calling on the Chinese army to 'thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 19th party National Congress and President Xi Jinping's strategy for strengthening the military.'
Xu also helped oversee the PLA's transformation into a modern fighting force, eliminating its Cold War-era jets for stealth fighters and nuclear bombers.
Xu also met with foreign delegations, including then-U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis in 2018, with whom he discussed 'the importance of substantive military-to-military contacts to reduce risk and strategic uncertainty.' Relations between the militaries have since nose-dived, along with relations in general.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump announces US-China trade talks in London next week
Senior United States officials will meet with a Chinese delegation on Monday in London for the next round of trade talks, Donald Trump said on Friday. The scheduled meeting comes after a phone call between the US President and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. Mr Trump described it as a 'very positive' conversation, as the two countries attempt to break an impasse over tariffs and global supplies of rare earth minerals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent the US side in the discussions 'The meeting should go very well,' Mr Trump wrote on his Truth social media platform. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Mr Trump said Mr Xi had agreed to restart exports of rare earth minerals and magnets to the US which China had slowed, threatening a range of manufacturers that relied on the critical materials. The was no immediate confirmation from Beijing, The conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Xi, who lead the world's two biggest economies, lasted about an hour and a half, according to the US president. The Chinese foreign ministry has said the White House initiated the call. The ministry said Xi asked Mr Trump to 'remove the negative measures' that the US has taken against China. It also said that Trump said 'the US loves to have Chinese students coming to study in America', although his administration has vowed to revoke some of their visas.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for June 7
Happy June, quotes readers! It was a tense and smoggy week in Chicago. Immigration advocates were alerted Wednesday of people being detained at a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement office on the Near South Side. Organizers and several aldermen went to protest, and several of them clashed with federal agents. Now, City Council members plan to have a hearing to look into the Chicago Police Department's response to the demonstration. Local immigration advocates also plan to challenge President Donald Trump's travel ban that bars or restricts travelers from 19 countries. The U.S. president spoke with several world leaders this week. After a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump said the two countries will continue their trade talks. During their phone call Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the president that he would respond to Ukraine's recent drone attacks on a Russian airfield. And in a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump suggested that pursuing peace in eastern Europe is not the best path forward right now. Amidst all of this, the relationship between the president and his former close adviser Elon Musk came to a bitter end as the two exchanged harsh words on social media, and Trump threatened to cut Starlink and SpaceX's government contracts. The Trump administration is also investigating former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen to sign pardons and other documents. Meanwhile in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed aldermen to add a city grocery tax as the long-established state grocery levy expires. A jury found Crosetti Brand guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of Jayden Perkins, the 11-year-old killed in a brutal 2024 attack as he tried to protect his pregnant mother. And Chicago police determined that Officer Krystal Rivera, a mother and four-year veteran of the force, was mistakenly shot and killed by a fellow cop during a confrontation with an armed suspect Thursday in the Chatham neighborhood. In Springfield, Illinois lawmakers voted to pass the state budget. The $55 billion spending plan was balanced with a combination of spending cuts and an estimated $800 million in tax increases, including hikes on tobacco products, vaping and online sportsbooks. The passage of the budget closed out a legislative session with mixed results for Gov. JB Pritzker. Jerry Reinsdorf is selling the Chicago White Sox — just not this year. On Thursday, the team announced Reinsdorf and billionaire Justin Ishbia reached a long-term investment agreement for Ishbia to obtain a controlling interest in the team by 2029 at the earliest. In other sports news, the Chicago Fire are privately financing a $650 million soccer stadium at The 78, the Chicago Sports Network is finally broadcasting on Comcast and the Chicago Sky are taking on the Indiana Fever this weekend in the first professional women's basketball game played at the United Center. But fans hoping to catch another matchup between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will have to wait: The 2024 WNBA rookie of the year is out for a quadriceps strain. Though the forecast looks nice, you may consider spending some time indoors this weekend. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is blanketing Chicago, with the city's air quality at times ranked the worst in the U.S. That's it for the news! Test your knowledge of who said what with the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz from June 1 to 7. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week.
American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
Man jumps barricade at Tiananmen Square flag-raising ceremony
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. An unidentified man dressed in black suddenly jumped a barricade during a flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square in Beijing and was wrestled away by security, a video posted on social media showed. Video of the incident, which reportedly took place on Monday, two days ahead of the anniversary of June 4, 1989, crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, was posted on the X by 'Mr. Li is not your teacher,' who posts content on that platform to circumvent Chinese government censorship. The man, wearing glasses, and a black jacket and trousers, ran toward the flag pole during the final bars of the People's Republic of China national anthem. He was tackled by guards and plainclothes personnel, as bystanders at the ceremony filmed on their cell phones. Some onlookers could be heard in the video exclaiming, 'Someone rushed in!' A few seconds later, the man was carried out by half-a-dozen security personnel and taken to a police van without struggling. The man's identity, nationality and motives remain unclear. On Tuesday, security inside and outside Tiananmen Square was reportedly stepped up.
