Liang Guanglie, former Chinese Minister of National Defense, died of illness at the age of 84 in Beijing at 2:43 am Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Liang served as a member of the Central Military Commission, State Councilor, and Minister of National Defense.

The report by Xinhua extolled Liang as an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding leader of national defense construction and military affairs.

According to Xinhua, the former senior official enlisted in the military in January 1958 and joined the Communist Party of China in November 1959. He was promoted to the rank of general in May 2002.

Liang served as the defense chief from 2013 to 2018.