Member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee; vice chairman of CPC Central Military Commission; vice chairman of PRC Central Military Commission; state councilor and minister of National Defense; deputy director of Chinese PLA Election Committee; general.

In 1945, Chi joined PLA when he was 15.

He graduated from the Anti-Japanese Military and Political College and joined the CPC in 1946. He was also a graduate from the PLA Nanjing Military Academy and the PLA Political Institute.

During the Liberation War (1946-1949), he served as company instructor in the Third Field Army, participated in the Laiwu, Menglianggu, Jinan and Huaihai campaigns and the Campaign of Crossing the Yangtze, and was awarded for meritorious services. In the Shanghai Campaign, he was commended as First-Class Combat Model and awarded the title of Third-Class People's Hero of East China.

In 1951, Chi joined the Chinese People's Volunteers to the Korean War, and served as battalion instructor and deputy director of Regimental Political Department.

Returning from Korea, he studied in the PLA High Infantry School and the Combination Department of the PLA Military College. He served as regimental political commissar, division political department director, division political commissar, deputy political commissar of the Beijing Military Area Command, deputy chief of the general staff of the PLA, and political commissar of the PLA Jinan Military Area Command.

In 1970s, he also served as a leading official in the Liberation Army Daily and as deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Daily.

General Chi was appointed state councilor and concurrently minister of National Defense at the First Session of the 8th NPC in March l993.

Chi was also member of the Central Military Commission that controls all of China's armed forces in 1992-1997. He served as Chief of the PLA General Staff from 1987 to 1992.

Chi has been vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission since 1995.

Chi was reelected vice chairman of CPC Central Military Commission in September 1997, vice chairman of PRC Central Military Commission on March 17, 1998, and state councillor and concurrently minister of National Defense on March 18. 1998.

Chi was appointed deputy director of Chinese PLA Election Committee in 1997.

In 1999, he attended the Macao handover ceremony as a member Chinese Government Delegation.

Chi was delegate to 9th and 11th CPC National Congresses and is member of the 12th to 15th CPC Central Committees. He was elected member of Political Bureau of 15th CPC Central Committee, and vice chairman of Election Committee of the Chinese PLA in 1997.

He was deputy to 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th and 9th NPC.

Chi was ranked general in 1988.

The battle-seasoned general is good at wrestling. He is now honorary president of the Wrestling Association of China. He likes shooting, horse riding, swimming and calligraphy.

His wife: Jiang qingping.