Liu Shunyao (; 1939 – 30 December 2002) was a Chinese pilot and general of the

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...

(PLAAF). He served as commander of the

Lanzhou Military Region The Lanzhou Military Region was one of seven military regions in the People's Republic of China. It directed all People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police forces in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Ngari Prefecture in n ...

Air Force, deputy commander of the PLAAF (1994–1996), and commander of the PLAAF (1996–2002).

Early life and career

Liu was born in 1939 in

Zhaoyuan, Shandong Zhaoyuan () is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, located on the Bohai Sea. Zhaoyuan is well known for its abundant gold deposit and production, and is occasionally nicknamed "China's gold cap ...

, Republic of China. He enlisted in the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

in 1958 and joined the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...

in 1961. Liu later transferred to the

(PLAAF) and trained as a fighter pilot at the PLAAF Flight Academy. Rising through the ranks in the Air Force, he served successively as deputy squadron commander, battalion commander, deputy regiment commander, regiment commander, deputy division commander, and division commander. In 1974, he fought in the

Battle of the Paracel Islands The Battle of the Paracel Islands (Chinese: 西沙海战, Pinyin: Xisha Haizhan；Vietnamese: Hải chiến Hoàng Sa) was a military engagement between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam in the Paracel Islands on January 19, 1974. The ...

against

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

Service in Northwest China

In May 1983, Liu became deputy director of the Air Force Command of the Urumqi Military Region, and was promoted to commander of the Urumqi Air Force Command in 1986. In 1990, he was selected for senior commander training at the

PLA National Defence University The People's Liberation Army National Defence University () is a Beijing-based national military university administered by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and funded by the Central Military Commission. The university is the highest militar ...

, where he caught the attention of Commandant General Zhang Zhen. After graduation, he was appointed deputy commander of the

Air Force (MRAF). In 1994, he was promoted to commander of the Lanzhou MRAF and concurrently deputy commander of the Lanzhou MR, serving under Commander

Fu Quanyou Fu Quanyou (; born November 1930) is a general of the People's Republic of China. Biography Fu was born in Guo County (now Yuanping), Shanxi in 1930. He joined the People's Liberation Army in October 1946, and the Chinese Communist Party in A ...

. In the decade he served in

Northwest China Northwest China () is a statistical region of China which includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai. It has an area of 3,107,900 km2. The region is characterized by a (semi-)arid con ...

, he placed a strong emphasis on training.

PLAAF headquarters

In October 1994, Liu transferred to the PLAAF headquarters to serve as deputy commander. In December 1996, he was promoted to PLAAF Commander, replacing

Yu Zhenwu Yu Zhenwu (; born July 1931) is a retired pilot and general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). As one of China's first test pilots, he conducted the 1958 maiden flight of the Shenyang JJ-1, China's first indigenously deve ...

. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of advanced weaponry, began emphasizing the need to fight offensive battles, and enhanced training involving air deterrence, interdiction, and joint exercises. Liu was a delegate to the 13th, 15th, and 16th

National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party The National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (; literally: Chinese Communist Party National Representatives Congress) is a party congress that is held every five years. The National Congress is theoretically the highest body within th ...

. He was elected a member of the

15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was in session from 1997 to 2002. The 14th Central Committee preceded it. It was followed by the 16th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. This was the first Central Committee ...

. He attained the rank of major general in 1988, lieutenant general in 1995, and full general in 2000. Liu stepped down from his post due to illness in February 2002 and was replaced by

Qiao Qingchen Qiao Qingchen (born 1939 in Zhengzhou, Henan) is a Chinese Air Force general who served as the commander of the PLA Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the Peo ...

as commander. He died in Beijing on 30 December 2002, aged 63.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Shunyao 1939 births 2002 deaths Commanders of the People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army generals from Shandong People from Yantai Members of the 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party PLA National Defence University alumni