1. Zhao Nanqi, or Cho Nam-gi, was a General of the People's Republic of China and Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1998 to 2003, and Vice-chairman of the 5th National People's Congress.
25 Facts About Zhao Nanqi
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Zhao Nanqi distinguished himself as a logistics officer of the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War.
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Zhao Nanqi later served in top leadership positions in the PLA as Director of the General Logistics Department, member of the Central Military Commission, and President of the PLA Academy of Military Science.
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Zhao Nanqi attained the top military rank of three star General in 1988.
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Many Koreans in China returned to Korea, but Zhao Nanqi's family stayed and was recognized as Chaoxianzu.
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Zhao Nanqi met General Zhou Baozhong of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, who recruited him into the army and sent him to study at Northeast Military and Political University, where he learned to speak, read and write Chinese.
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Zhao Nanqi participated in the land reform movement in Jilin and joined the Chinese Communist Party in February 1947.
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When China resolved to intervene in the Korean War in October 1950, Zhao Nanqi was deployed to Korea because of his proficiency in the Korean language.
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Zhao Nanqi served in the logistics department of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army alongside Mao Anying, the son of Chairman Mao Zedong.
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Zhao Nanqi evacuated the cave where the PVA headquarters were located just before American planes bombed it and killed Mao Anying in November 1950.
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Zhao Nanqi distinguished himself during the celebrated Battle of Triangle Hill in October 1952, when the unit under his command braved American aerial bombing and transported 30,000 grenades from Andong, China to the 15th Corps in the front line within 15 hours.
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Zhao Nanqi was responsible for constructing the building in which the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953.
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Zhao Nanqi left North Korea together with the last PVA troops in 1958.
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Zhao Nanqi was persecuted during the early Cultural Revolution, but was rehabilitated and appointed Political Commissar of the Tonghua Military Subdistrict in 1973.
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Zhao Nanqi was later promoted to Deputy Political Commissar and then Commissar of the Jilin Military District.
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Zhao Nanqi became Vice Governor of Jilin Province in April 1980 and was appointed Chinese Communist Party Deputy Committee Secretary of Jilin in October 1981, serving until 1985.
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In March 1985, Zhao Nanqi was promoted to Deputy Director of the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department.
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Zhao Nanqi was promoted again to Director of the GLD in 1987 and was appointed a member of the Central Military Commission in April 1988.
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In July 1995, Zhao Nanqi officially retired from the People's Liberation Army, marked the end of his 50 years long military career.
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From 1998 to 2003, Zhao Nanqi served as vice-chairman of the 9th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
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Zhao Nanqi paid an official visit to North Korea in June 1998 and paid his respects to the grave of Mao Anying.
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Zhao Nanqi was a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party.
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Zhao Nanqi served as vice-chairman of the Nationalities Committee of the 5th National People's Congress.
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Zhao Nanqi was married to Lin Chunshu, a fellow Korean War veteran.
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Zhao Nanqi died in Beijing on 17 June 2018, at the age of 91.