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Cao GanchuanMinister of Defense of the People's Republic of China, Colonel General
Country:
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Biography of Cao Gangchuan
Cao Gangchuan, born in December 1935, hails from the Henan province of China. At the age of 19, he was enlisted into the army and joined the Chinese Communist Party during his second year of service. With aspirations of becoming a military cadre, he pursued his education in the Soviet Union and graduated from the artillery academy. Cao Gangchuan also possesses a good command of the Russian language, which he further honed during courses in Dalian at the People's Liberation Army Academy.
From 1998 to 2002, Cao Gangchuan served as the Chief of the General Armaments Department of the National People's Congress. During his tenure, he was responsible for the procurement of weapons from Russia, displaying an in-depth understanding of the Chinese military's needs for modernization. He holds a high regard for the quality of Russian weapons acquired by China through bilateral agreements on military-technical cooperation.
Appointment as Minister of Defense
In light of the rejuvenation efforts within China's ruling elite, particularly after the Party Congress held the previous year and the recent session of the National People's Congress, which elected a new leadership, the composition of the cabinet of ministers was completely revamped. General Cao Gangchuan was appointed as the new Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China, succeeding army veteran Chi Haotian. Additionally, Cao Gangchuan was also confirmed as the Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission to ensure "intergenerational continuity," with veteran Chinese politician Jiang Zemin continuing to head the commission.
