China bid a final farewell to former senior military official Xu Qiliang at a cremation ceremony in Beijing on Sunday. President Xi Jinping and other top leaders gathered at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery to honor Xu, who passed away on June 2 at the age of 75.
Amid solemn music, Xi Jinping, along with Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi, walked slowly toward Xu’s body and stood in silent tribute. They paid their final respects with three bows, shook hands with Xu’s family, and offered their condolences.
Xu Qiliang was a prominent figure in China’s military leadership. He served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and was a member of the Political Bureau of the 18th and 19th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He was praised as an excellent CPC member, a loyal communist soldier, a skilled military strategist, and an outstanding leader of the People’s Liberation Army.
Following his passing, Xi Jinping and other leaders either visited Xu in the hospital or sent condolences to his family.
