Chang Wanquan (; born January 1949) is a retired general who was the Minister of National Defense and State Councilor of China from 2013 and 2018. He was also a member of the Central Military Commission and helped to manage China's space program.

Life and career

Born in Nanyang, Henan Province, in 1949, Chang joined the PLA in March 1968 and the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

(CCP) in November of the same year. From January 2002 to December 2004, he was the chief of staff and a CCP committee member of the Lanzhou Military Region. From December 2004 to September 2007, he was the commander of the Shenyang Military Region. He was also director of the PLA General Armaments Department. In October 2007 he was elected as a member of the Central Military Commission. He attained the rank of senior colonel in 1992, major general in July 1997,

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

in 2003, and full general in October 2007. He has been a member of the 16th, 17th and 18th Central Committee's. In October 2012, he was appointed as a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC). At the first plenary session of the 12th National People's Congress in October 2013, he was appointed Minister of National Defense, succeeding General Liang Guanglie. He was also appointed as State Councilor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Wanquan 1949 births Living people People's Liberation Army generals from Henan People from Nanyang, Henan Ministers of national defense of the People's Republic of China State councillors of China Members of the 16th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Members of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Members of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party