12 Facts About Zhang Dingfa

Zhang Dingfa was a submariner and admiral of China's People's Liberation Army Navy, who served as Commander of the PLAN from 2003 to 2006.

Zhang Dingfa initiated reforms to improve maintenance and training of the naval force, but stepped down three years later because of cancer, and died soon afterwards.

Zhang Dingfa was born on 8 December 1943 to a workers' family in Pudong, Shanghai.

Zhang Dingfa joined the Chinese Communist Party in March 1964.

Zhang Dingfa became a deputy submarine commander in 1971, and commander in 1975.

Zhang Dingfa was then promoted to chief of staff of the North Sea Fleet in 1993, deputy commander in 1995, and commander of the North Sea Fleet and concurrently deputy commander of the Jinan Military Region in 1996.

Zhang Dingfa became a vice admiral in July 1998, and a deputy commander of the PLA Navy in December 2000.

In November 2002, Zhang Dingfa was appointed president of the PLA Academy of Military Science, the first naval officer to hold the position.

Zhang Dingfa was chosen as his replacement partly because of his background as a career submariner, in an era when the PLA Navy was relying on its submarines in the event of a possible conflict with the United States over the Taiwan Strait issue.

Zhang Dingfa was the first naval commander to become a CMC member.

Zhang Dingfa was replaced by Admiral Wu Shengli, who continued his reforms.

Zhang Dingfa was cremated and buried at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.