Cao Gangchuan (simplified Chinese: 曹刚川; traditional Chinese: 曹剛川; pinyin: Cáo Gāng Chuān) (born December 1935) is vice chairman of Central Military Commission and former Minister of National Defense of the People's Republic of China. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin Chinese family name is one of the hundreds or thousands of Family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A Central Military Commission or National Defense Commission is an organisation typical of Communist One-party states responsible for supervising the nation's The Ministry of National Defense ( MND) (中国国防部 of the People's Republic of China is a ministry under the State Council. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES He was also state councilor and director of the PLA General Armament Department.

Biography

Cao Gangchuan, native of Wugang, Henan Province, was born in December 1935. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For two years from 1954 he was a student of Nanjing No. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) 3 Artillery Ordnance Technical School and No. 1 Ordnance Technical School. Then in 1956, he became a teacher of the No. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 1 Ordnance Technical School. In the same year he attended the PLA Dalian Russian-Language School, before spending six years from 1957 at the Military Engineering School of the Artillery Corps of the Soviet Union. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 On returning in China in 1963 he was Assistant of Ammunition Division of Ordnance Department of PLA General Logistics Department, until 1969, when he became Assistant of Munitions Division in the same department. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

He was promoted in 1975 to a staff officer and deputy director of General Planning Division of Military Equipment Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Then in 1982 he was made deputy director of Military Equipment Department. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Steadily moving through the ranks of the PLA's hierarchy, in 1989 he was made director of Military Affairs Department of PLA Headquarters of the General Staff, then one year later, director of the Office of Military Trade of Central Military Commission. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) For four years from 1992 he was deputy chief of the general staff of PLA. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Cao Gangchuan during his first visit to the People's Republic of China

He became a Minister for the first time in 1996 as Minister of Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Then in 1998 he gained control of the PLA General Armament Department. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) In 1998 he was made a member of the CPC Central Military Commission and director and secretary of Party committee of PLA General Armament Department. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) From 2002 to 2003 he was a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission; director and secretary of Party committee of PLA General Armament Department. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

In March 2003, he was also appointed as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China as well as state councilor.

He was a member of the 15th CPC Central Committee, and was a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee and member of the 16th CPC Politburo.

References

• Cao Gangchuan biography @ China Vitae, the web's largest online database of China VIPs
• Who's Who in China's Leadership