Liang Guanglie, a native of Santai, Sichuan Province, was born in December 1940. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in November 1959 and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in January 1958. He graduated from Henan University where he had completed a political theory correspondence education program. He is a graduate of in-service junior college and is an army general.

He is now member of the Central Military Commission and chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

1958-1960: Soldier and squad leader of the engineer company, 2nd Regiment, 1st Division, 1st Ground Force Army.

1960-1963: Deputy commander, commander of the engineer company and quartermaster of the special agent company, Second Regiment, 1st Division, 1st Ground Force Army.

1963-1963: Staff officer of the Operation and Training Branch, Headquarters of the Second Regiment, 1st Division, 1st Ground Force Army.

1963-1964: Student of Xinyang PLA Infantry School.

1964-1966: Staff officer of the Operation and Training Branch, Headquarters of the 2nd Regiment, 1st Division, 1st Ground Force Army.

1966-1966: Staff officer of the Engineer Branch, Headquarters of the 1st Division, 1st Ground Force Army.

1966-1970: Staff officer of the Operation and Training Branch of the Headquarters of the 1st Division of the 1st Army of the Ground Force.

1970-1971: Staff officer, Operational Department, Wuhan Military Area Command.

1971-1974: Deputy chief of the 1st section, Operational Department, Wuhan Military Area Command.

1974-1979: Deputy head, Operational Department, Wuhan Military Area Command.

1979-1981: Deputy commander, 58th Division, 20th Ground Force Army.

1981-1983: Commander, 58th Division, 20th Ground Force Army (Studied at a short-term course of the PLA Military Academy from Mar. 1982 to Jan. 1983).

1983-1985: Deputy commander, 20th Ground Force Army.

1985-1990: Commander, 20th Group Army of the PLA Ground Force (Studied at Continued Education Department, University of National Defense from Aug. 1987 to Dec. 1987. Completed a political theory correspondence education program of Henan University between Feb. 1984 and July 1986).

1990-1993: Commander, 54th Group Army of the PLA Ground Force.

1993-1995: Chief of staff, Beijing Military Area Command.

1995-1997: Deputy commander, Beijing Military Area Command.

1997-1999: Commander, Shenyang Military Area Command.

1999-2002: Commander and deputy Party committee secretary, Nanjing Military Area Command.

2002-: Member of the CPC Central Military Commission and chief of the general staff of PLA.

In March 2003, he also became a member of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China.

He was an alternate member of the 13th and 14th CPC Central Committee and a member of the 15th CPC Central Committee. He is a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee.