Friday, May 10, 2024 | Last Update : 10:07 AM IST
China appoints Vietnam war veteran as new military chief
Gen Li was awarded a first-class merit for his role in China’s conflict with Vietnam in 1979.
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed 63-year-old decorated General Li Zuocheng, a veteran of the Sino-Vietnamese war, as the new Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Chinese defence ministry did not directly announce Li’s appointment, but simply identified him with his new designation during a meeting with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan on Saturday.
He replaces Gen. Fang Fenghui. The ministry didn’t reveal which position Fang is transferred to.
Gen Li was awarded a first-class merit for his role in China’s conflict with Vietnam in 1979. The Central Military Commission later honoured him as a “war hero”. His combat unit was also awarded a collective order of merit. Li has been seen as one of President Xi Jinping’s rising stars since 2013.
