What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, a biographic sketch of Lieutenant General Xu Huizi, dated March 1994. The document provides a senior Chinese military officer’s career overview and is notable for its detail on PLA leadership during a period of heightened U.S.–China military dialogue. The record was released through a Freedom of Information Act request, declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency and made publicly available on the Black Vault website on the date of release. The full text can be accessed at the Black Vault URL for this file. The document reads as follows. Name: Lieutenant General Xu Huizi (born 1932) – People’s Liberation Army. Position: Deputy Chief of the General Staff (V‑COGS), General Staff Department (GSD) since April 1985, and full member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee since September 1985. Significance: Xu is the senior of three Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff, responsible for operations, intelligence, and force affairs, with oversight of civil defense. He is the functional equivalent of the J2/J3 directorates on the United States side and is generally considered equivalent to the U.S. Chief of Staff of the Army. Because of his military and diplomatic experience, personal demeanor, and party position, he likely exerts considerable influence on PLA decision‑making. Xu has substantial combat and command experience. He was probably selected to become a deputy chief because of his service with the 39th Army Region. He has also been involved in the modernization effort, working toward reshaping the PLA by establishing new modules and regulations and by incorporating aspects of Western technology and military strategy. As Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Xu has gained extensive diplomatic experience, traveling frequently outside of China. He arranged an Army Chief of Staff counterpart visit to the United States in October 1988 and, in recent months, accompanied the Military Commission Vice Chairman General Tu Huaining to Southeast Asia. In December 1993, he became the highest‑ranking PLA visitor to India since the 1962 Sino‑Indian border conflict. His most recent U.S. contact was with Assistant Secretary of Defense Chanes Freeman in November 1993. Politics: Xu is politically well connected. He is reported to be the son of Marshal Xu Xisnygian, and he has served under former Chief of the General Staff Yang Dezhi and former National Defense University Political Commissar Lt Desheng, both influential retired officers. He is believed to support Sino‑U.S. relations that assure peace and stability in the Pacific. Personal data: Xu was born in 1932, according to the official Chinese biography. He speaks English, French, and Russian. Career: Chinese publications state that Xu joined the PLA in 1948, which would have made him sixteen at the time. Unconfirmed reports suggest he was a KMT soldier who defected to the PLA after being captured. If true, it has not affected his career…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Central Intelligence Agency Record, A Biographic Sketch

◆ BLUF — The short version

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, a biographic sketch of Lieutenant General Xu Huizi, dated March 1994. –China military dialogue. The record was released through a Freedom of Information Act request, declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency and made publicly available on the Black Vault website on the date of release.

Date: AUG 1 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, a biographic sketch of Lieutenant General Xu Huizi, dated March 1994. The document provides a senior Chinese military officer’s career overview and is notable for its detail on PLA leadership during a period of heightened U.S.–China…

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was Central Intelligence Agency Record, A Biographic Sketch about?: This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, a biographic sketch of Lieutenant General Xu Huizi, dated March 1994. –China military dialogue. The record was released through a Freedom of Information Act request, declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency and made publicly available on the Black Vault website on the date of release.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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Central Intelligence Agency Record, A Biographic Sketch

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