BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Xu Caihou was approved as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Partyof China (CPC) at the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee, which ended here Sunday.

    Xu, previously a member of the CPC Central Military Commission,was born as a native of Wafangdian, Liaoning Province, northeast China, in June 1943.

    He joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in August 1963 andwas trained from 1963 to 1968 at the Electronics Engineering Department of the Harbin Institute of Military Engineering. He joined the Party in April 1971.

    He was secretary and deputy head of the Personnel Division of the Political Department of the Jilin Military Area Command during1972 and 1982.

    Xu was appointed director of the Mass Work Section of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Area Command during 1984 and 1985, and political commissar of the 16th Group Army of the Ground Force between 1990 and 1992.

    Xu served as deputy director of the PLA General Political Department during 1993 and 1996.

    He was made member of the CPC Central Military Commission and executive deputy director of the PLA General Political Department between 1999 and 2002.

    Xu is now also member of the 16th CPC Central Committee and of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. Enditem