Liu Zhenwu

Liu Zhenwu (Chinese: 刘镇武; born August 1945) is a retired general (shang jiang) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). He was the first Commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, and later served as Deputy Commander and Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, and Deputy Chief of the PLA General Staff Department.[1][2]

Liu Zhenwu
刘镇武
Deputy Chief of PLA General Staff
In office
June 2007 – July 2009
ChiefChen Bingde
Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region
In office
January 2002 – June 2007
Preceded byTao Bojun
Succeeded byZhang Qinsheng
Commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison
In office
1997 (preparatory since 1994) – 1999
Preceded byNew command
Succeeded byXiong Ziren
Personal details
BornAugust 1945 (age 75)
Nan County, Hunan, China
Political partyCommunist Party of China
Military service
Allegiance China
Branch/servicePeople's Liberation Army
Years of service1961–2009
Rank General
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.

Biography

Liu Zhenwu was born in August 1945 in Nan County, Hunan Province. He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in July 1961, serving in the 370th Regiment of the 124th Division of the 42nd Group Army. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in June 1964.[1]

Starting as an ordinary soldier, Liu rose through the ranks of the 42nd Army, becoming chief of staff in August 1983. In 1987 he studied military science at the PLA National Defence University. He became deputy commander of the 42nd Army in December 1989, and commander in July 1992. He was promoted to the rank of major general in July 1990.[1]

In 1994, when the PLA Hong Kong Garrison was being formed in preparation for the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, Liu was named its first commander.[1] In this capacity, he toured Hong Kong's military bases and facilities in July 1996, accompanied by Major General Bryan Dutton, the outgoing commander of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong.[3] Soon after Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China on 1 July 1997, Liu was promoted to lieutenant general at the end of the month, outranking his British predecessors.[4] He commanded about 15,000 soldiers in the garrison, most of whom were based across the border in mainland China.[5] In September 1997, he became an alternate member of the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.[1]

In March 1999, Liu became Deputy Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, which oversaw the Hong Kong Garrison. He was promoted to Commander of the Guangzhou MR in January 2002, and became a full member of the 16th Central Committee in November.[1] He was awarded the rank of full general (shang jiang) in June 2004.[1]

In June 2007, Liu was transferred to Beijing to serve as Deputy Chief of the PLA General Staff Department,[2] a position he held until July 2009. He retired from his military career, and was appointed in February 2010 as deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 11th National People's Congress.[1]

References
  1. "Liu Zhenwu" (in Chinese). National Chengchi University. 5 June 2015.
  2. Bo, Zhiyue (2010). China's Elite Politics: Governance and Democratization. World Scientific. p. 114. ISBN 978-981-283-673-1.
  3. Cheng, Joseph Y. S. (1997). The Other Hong Kong Report 1997. Chinese University Press. p. xii. ISBN 978-962-201-778-8.
  4. Chow, Larry Chuen-ho (1998). The Other Hong Kong Report 1998. Chinese University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-962-201-829-7.
  5. Todd Cowell; Law Siu Lan (16 May 1997). "Centers of Power". Asiaweek.
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