FOR THE PEOPLE: Vice President Xi Jinping on an inspection tour of Jin'an Community, Xiamen City, Fujian Province, on September 6 (LAN HONGGUANG)

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has been appointed vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The Fifth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee announced in a communique at the close of the four-day meeting on October 18 that the CMC was augmented to include Xi as a vice chairman.

Xi is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou are the other two vice chairmen of the CMC headed by President Hu Jintao.

Born in 1953, Xi has served in a number of positions related to the armed forces and military reserve affairs during his previous tenures at national and local levels.

The following is the biographical sketch of Xi:

1969-1975 Worked as an educated youth sent to the countryside at Liangjiahe Brigade, Wen'anyi Commune, Yanchuan County, Shaanxi Province, and served as Party branch secretary

1975-1979 Student of basic organic synthesis at the Chemical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University

1979-1982 Secretary at the General Office of the State Council and the General Office of the Central Military Commission (as an officer in active service)

1982-1983 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Zhengding County Committee, Hebei Province

1983-1985 Secretary of the CPC Zhengding County Committee, First Political Commissar and First Secretary of the Party Committee of People's Armed Forces Department of Zhengding County

1985-1988 Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Xiamen City, Fujian Province

1988-1990 Secretary of the CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee, Fujian Province, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Ningde Sub-Military Area Command

1990-1993 Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress, Fujian Province, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Fuzhou Sub-Military Area Command

1993-1995 Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Fuzhou Sub-Military Area Command.

1995-1996 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Congress, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Fuzhou Sub-Military Area Command

1996-1999 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, First Political Commissar of Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division of Fujian Provincial Military Area Command

1999-2000 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Acting Governor of Fujian Province, Vice Director of Commission for National Defense Mobilization of Nanjing Military Area Command, Director of Fujian Provincial Commission for National Defense Mobilization, First Political Commissar of Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division of Fujian Provincial Military Area Command

2000-2002 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Governor of Fujian Province, Vice Director of Commission for National Defense Mobilization of Nanjing Military Area Command, Director of Fujian Provincial Commission for National Defense Mobilization, First Political Commissar of Antiaircraft Artillery Reserve Division of Fujian Provincial Military Area Command

2002-2002 Deputy Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Acting Governor of Zhejiang Province, Vice Director of Commission for National Defense Mobilization of Nanjing Military Area Command, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Commission for National Defense Mobilization

2002-2003 Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Acting Governor of Zhejiang Province, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhejiang Provincial Military Area Command, Vice Director of Commission for National Defense Mobilization of Nanjing Military Area Command, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Commission for National Defense Mobilization

2003-2007 Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhejiang Provincial Military Area Command

2007-2007 Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, First Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Garrison

2007-2008 Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, President of Party School of the CPC Central Committee

2008- Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, Vice President of the People's Republic of China and President of Party School of the CPC Central Committee

Alternate member of the 15th CPC Central Committee, and member of the 16th CPC Central Committee. Member of the 17th CPC Central Committee, member of the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee, and member of the Secretariat of the 17th CPC Central Committee. Xi was elected vice president of the People's Republic of China at the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)