If reports are to be believed, China has a new military secretary who was involved in President Xi Jinping’s recent inspection visits to People’s Liberation Army (PLA) units.

A report published by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Saturday, October 26, stated that Lieutenant General Fang Yongxiang, who appeared as a military secretary, was part of the group that accompanied President Xi during his visit to an unspecified brigade of the PLA’s rocket force last week . .

Footage published by state media showed Lieutenant General Fang, 58, standing at arm’s length while Xi spoke to several senior commanders at the base, the report said.

In close-up, Fang and General Zhang Youxia appeared to be the only two generals not wearing rocket uniforms alongside the Chinese president.

However, this is not the first time Fang has been seen with Xi.

The SCMP report said Fang was seen alongside the president in state media footage of his visit to the Army Medical University in Chongqing in April.

In addition to being a Lieutenant General in the PLA, Fang is also an alternate member of the Communist Party Central Committee, China’s top policy-making body.

Fang was born in Xiamen in 1966. His military career began in 1989, the SCMP report said. His career in Fujian overlapped with Xi’s time there by more than a decade.

The report stated that Fang started his duty as a platoon leader and company commander in the 31st Group Army, which oversees the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

Also watch | WION Pulse: A look at China’s new military secretary

He progressed through various leadership roles, becoming the political director of the 31st Group and then a member of the core leadership standing committee in 2014.

He also led political and party work at the Eastern Theater Command from 2015 to 2017 before being appointed Communist Party chief of the 81st Group Army Unit.

The 58-year-old artist was promoted to deputy minister in the newly established Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018 and remained in this position until 2022.

Also in 2022, Fang became the political commissioner of the Southern Theater Command, which covers key regions including the South China Sea.

(With input from institutions)