China's Top Military Commander Dies While Being Under Investigation

Xu Qiliang, a former Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), passed away in Beijing, Xinhua said, citing an official statement. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) referred to him as China's top military commander.

Xu died at 12:12 p. m. local time on Monday, June 2. The official cause of death was listed as illness.

Born in March 1950 in Linqu County, Shandong Province, Xu joined the military in July 1966 and became a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) a year later. He trained at several aviation schools and served as a military pilot, division commander, and later led multiple air force armies. In June 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Air Force General.

From 2007 to 2012, Xu served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and as Commander of the PLA Air Force. He held the position of Vice Chairman of the CMC from 2012 to 2022.

Xu Qiliang was also a member of the 18th and 19th CPC Central Committee Politburo.

According to SCMP, Xu was the first CMC Vice Chairman who did not come from the ground forces-a sign of the PLA's strategic shift toward multi-domain warfare.

NDTV, however, reported that Xu may have died earlier, on May 28, and that he had been under investigation in China. In his final days, he was reportedly under intense stress, and his daughter confirmed that heart issues were the cause of death.