Gao Houliang, a former Political Commissar of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, has died at the age of 91.

Gao died of illness in Beijing on July 14, according to a government press release on Wednesday. Further details of Gao's illness were not provided.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, former president Jiang Zemin, and senior Chinese leaders including Zeng Qinghong, He Guoqiang, Guo Boxiong and Cao Gangchuan have offered condolences to Gao's family, it said.

Born in 1915, Gao joined the Communist Party of China in 1933. He took part in the historic Long March during the 1930s, fought in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945), and led the Communist Party's forces in several major battles to topple the Kuomintang Regime during the Liberation War.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Gao became the PLA Division's political commissar of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army; deputy commander and concurrently chief of Staff, then commander of the PLA Air Force; deputy political commissar and director of the Political Department, and political commissar of the PLA Air Force.

Gao was awarded the rank of PLA major general and the Order of the Liberation (1st class) in 1955, and the PLA Red Star Citation of Merit (1st class) in 1988.

Source: Xinhua