Source: Ifeng.com History Channel

Xu Caihou, former VICE chairman of the CMC, was expelled from the CPC and the military and stripped of his general rank on June 30, 2014.On March 15, 2015, Xu died of bladder cancer after treatment failed.Xu Caihou that year exactly is what kind of an individual, an honest person is how to rise to the top 20 years when the military commission vice chairman?Let's see what his classmates at Harbin Institute of Technology have to say.

The following is a transcript of a conversation with Mr. Teng xuyan, xu caihou's college classmate, on ifeng.com history channel :(in order to understand this low-key person in those days)

History of Phoenix: Xu Caihou and you were classmates of Harbin Military Industrial University. What was your general impression of him?

Teng Xuyan: I am from Dalian with him.In August 1963, Harbin Military sent an air Force major to Dalian and led 14 of us on the train. We stayed in Shenyang for one night. When all 28 people from Liaoning province arrived, we continued to report to Harbin by train.So I went to college with Xu Caihou, and I knew all the students in Liaoning Province

Phoenix history: when you first met Xu Caihou, did you feel his personality was cheerful?

Teng Xuyan: no cheerful, he is very shy, do not like to talk. Phoenix History: did you take the initiative to talk to him?

Teng Xuyan: Yes.I sat down with him and said what school do you go to?He said he was from no. 8 middle school, so we knew each other.We are all assigned to the department of electronic engineering, the dormitory is not far from each other, we always talk to each other.At that time, we had two cadet teams in class 63. One cadet team had five classes. I was in team 63-7 and he was in team 63-8.We are not in the same class. I major in radar and he major in communication. I am in Class 412 and he is in Class 481.He has a good temper. He does not smile and does not speak. He always smiles and never glares at his classmates.

Phoenix history: did he show any outstanding ability of organization and speech in class?

Teng Xuyan: His only advantage in class is that he is very good at music.When the two teams of our grade held a meeting, the department leader would sing before giving us a speech. The commander of team 63-8 was him.He conducted well, and he led the group in singing.

Before the Cultural Revolution, there was an organization in the cadets called the Revolutionary Servicemen's Committee, or the Revolutionary Committee for short

Student union at a local university.The committee consists of sports committee, literature committee and propaganda committee, and Xu Caihou is the literature committee.Because he has a strong sense of music, singing well, will command, organize students to sing a song, perform a small program, this is his work.

Phoenix history: have female classmates like him?

Teng Xuyan: I haven't heard of it.Harbin military female students are particularly few, but they 481 class female students more, there are more than ten, but did not hear that he talked about love with which female students.Because we have a military discipline, do not allow love.After the Chaos of the "Cultural Revolution", many female students had husbands again.If Xu caihou had been active, or a senior cadre's son, someone might have fallen in love with him.He's like me. We're not dating at school. There aren't enough girls.

Phoenix history: are female classmates chased away by the sons of the elite?

Teng Xuyan: Not really.Some female students would like to look for a higher class.Many male students are really excellent, good character, handsome, good at study, articulate, he will naturally have an advantage, to win the heart of female students.And some people start to understand a little earlier, like us more confused, a look is not our share, so we don't think about this matter.Xu Caihou is very low

There are so many girls in his class, and he doesn't find anyone in his class.As I now recall, he was good-natured, but not particularly distinguished.

Xu Caihou is an ordinary student who lives in a miscellaneous courtyard during the Cultural Revolution. History of phoenix: How is he learning?

Teng Xuyan: he is average, should be in the level.

Phoenix history: Have you ever failed?

Teng Xuyan: No fail, we rarely fail, at that time are hard study, listen to the party.I always feel that we must not live up to the party's trust in us.When our dean Liu Juying gave a lecture to the students of class 63, he said, "If you can give me one or two Qian Xuesen, I won't be wasted."This gave me a deep impression, so our Military students, naughty in school, fooling around, too few too few, Xu Caihou's performance in school should be said to be good.
Phoenix history: Was he active when the Cultural Revolution was held?

Teng Xuyan: He basically followed the trend in the Cultural Revolution.He was never a leader, and he had nothing to do with stealing.

Phoenix history: Did he basically never participate in it?

Teng Xuyan: At that time, when you said THAT I did not participate in the Cultural Revolution, didn't you expect to be criticized? Because Chairman MAO said that we should care about national affairs and take part in the Cultural Revolution, all students should take part in the movement honestly.At that time, he did not plunder homes, fight people, and beat, smash and rob. It was not simple enough. It showed that he still had a string in his mind and knew it was wrong to do so.

Our two teams lived next to each other in the dorms, and we all walked up and down the same road and saw each other often.I knew something about his activities, and I also asked his classmates about them. They said that xu Caihou stood watching from a distance when the two factions were engaged in a little martial arts fight. He did not take part in it, and dared not say who was wrong.At that time, we did not dare to talk nonsense, you said bad luck, more active students can criticize you ah.

In the summer of 1967, there was a "fighting in Building 58" in the Harbin Military Industrial Complex. After that, I went back to Dalian and hid.Later, a classmate from Yangzhou told me that we also went to Dalian and visited Caihou's home.They said xu caihou's family was also shabby and lived in a large compound.His grandfather was a worker, and his father seemed to be a street clerk, a very small cadre.His family was not rich and belonged to the urban poor.

We all got into Harbin Military on our own merits.This is because premier Zhou said in 1961 that students of Harbin Military Industrial University would not be allowed to receive early recommendation. We are now in the same period: from 1962 to 1965, these four classes of university students were admitted by the entrance exam against all their will.We reported the volunteer is tsinghua and other famous universities, the score passed, Harbin military industry before the shift of political review, it is possible to enter Harbin military industry.

Phoenix history: you and Xu Caihou read the middle school in Dalian is particularly good?

Teng Xuyan: I read a good middle school, called 20 high school, Xu Caihou read is eight middle school, eight is also good.Fourteen people in Dalian were admitted to the Harbin Military Academy. We were admitted to six of the twenty senior high schools and two of the eight senior high schools, while the whole liaoning province was only admitted to 28.

Xu Caihou before college

Did not join the league in Harbin military did not join the party

Phoenix history: you say in the article, Xu Caihou is very envious after hearing that you join the Party.Why couldn't he join the party then?

Teng Xuyan: It is very difficult to join the Party at that time.Among the class of '63, none of us joined the Party at school in' 64.

I joined the Party in the "Four Qing dynasty".Because Chairman MAO ordered our school to carry out the "Four Qing Dynasties" in stages and in batches, of our group of seven or eight thousand people in Bayan and Hailong counties, less than one thousand joined the Party.Three of my class joined the Party, including me.At that time, I was the league branch secretary of my class. Only when I performed well in the "Four Qing dynasties" and my classmates' evaluation was good, could I join the Party.He won't be in Xu Caihou's class.

Phoenix history: He is not league branch secretary?

Teng Xuyan: when he went to Harbin war, the regiment did not enter it.At that time, it was also very difficult to join the league. He was a "youth" when he joined the Harbin Military Army without league membership, so he joined the league only after he joined the Harbin Military Army.

We met in the playground and talked for a long time. I was very impressed.He says you're in the party, and I'm not.I said what?He said my instructor didn't think much of me.I say that your instructor is wrong, you don't worry, join the party affirmation can enter.

So he did not join the Party at school, nor did he join the party at the farm. After he was assigned to the Shenyang Military Area Command, he joined the Party at the grass-roots level. That was in 1971.

In the 1980s, Xu caihou prepared to change his career

Promotion is based on academic qualifications, not flattery

History of Phoenix: was he one of the lucky ones who could join the army after working on a farm?

Teng Xuyan: Chairman MAO once said that all college students in the class of 67 and 68 would go to military farms to "receive re-education". We worked in Heli Farm in Heilongjiang Province.The farm was desolate on the edge of a big forest about forty miles west of Jiamusi and Hegang.We camped there for a year and a half.I am a company, Xu Caihou is a company.Xu Caihou and some of his classmates now live in Shenzhen. We had a dinner and talked about his good performance in the farm.Heilongjiang forest often burns wildfires in spring, and we have saved two fires.At that time xu Caihou performance is very good, very heroic, with the classmates to put out the fire, nothing when he will play the erhu.

Later, some students from the company were selected to serve as soldiers in the Shenyang Military Area Command and then as technical cadres.After xu caihou was assigned to the Shenyang Military Area Command, he went to Wangqing County as a company deputy instructor. After several years of service in the grass-roots army, he arrived in Changchun.He served as an ordinary officer in the Jilin Military Area Command for many years.After we parted in the farm, I was engaged in scientific research in the Academy of Sciences, and he was a cadre in the army.The classmate said, be a small cadre bai there honestly, also seem to have no promise.After so many years in the league, he was ready to return to Dalian.

At this critical juncture, he raised it.Was it 1982, or was it 1983?At that time, Vice Chairman Yang Shangkun, presiding over the work of the Military Commission, discussed with Deng Xiaoping and said that our military's knowledge structure was too backward, and modern wars were becoming more and more severe in the world.The COMMISSION has to find out how many college graduates there are in the field army and headquarters. They should be around 40 years old.It turned out that during the Cultural Revolution, the army was in disorder, the military academies were disbanded, and many college students were transferred to their jobs and returned home.At that time, there were only about a thousand of them with a bachelor's degree or above and their age meeting the requirements.

This was told to me by senior cadres. Later, the cadres in charge of the general Administration asked Yang Shangkun, saying that these college students are available in all schools, which school should be given priority in selecting cadres?Yang Shangkun said this also ask me, of course, is the military.Military is the vanguard of the military academy of national defense science and technology, military students quality is very good, of course, from the military selected.So we were the first to study together, about three hundred people, many of whom later became generals.Xu Caihou also belonged to this group, and luck had chosen him.Now someone does not understand the situation, say he is not to rely on boast flatter go up, be not, it is to choose cadre when, accord with the requirement to choose go up.

His greatest merit is obedience

The biggest problem is family

Phoenix history: do you think Xu Caihou will come?

Teng Xuyan: he is not a special meeting, is not a special boast flatter horse, rhetoric.His mouth is very clumsy, writing articles is not good, eloquence is not good, but he is very obedient.Later, I listened to the students to introduce his situation, how the leadership how to arrange him how to execute, so he rose so fast.He just arrived in Beijing level is not high, 20 years step by step rise so fast, if the performance is not good, I think he is unable to go on.

But then he came to the opposite side of himself. I think maybe over the years, as he became more and more powerful, and the corruption in China became more and more serious, maybe he could not keep his bottom line.There is a gang of villains around him, like Gujunshan these assholes flatter every day, he may be soft ears, also relax vigilance.Or maybe it's the wife and the girl. Parenting is a problem.

His wife surnamed Zhao, is in his hometown dalian city to find, ordinary people, is in the office to do ordinary cadres.I hear he's got a tough girl, too.Later Xu Caihou was already a senior officer in the army, and his girl also worked in the headquarters.His son-in-law and his girl were always fighting to the bone.Xu caihou could not bear it and let them divorce.What the CPC Central Committee says is that he accepted bribes through family members.I was thinking of his family education ah, on the children, wife strict management of this aspect he is not good.

History of Phoenix: You have written a biography of The Military Industry. You have interviewed many teachers and students of the military industry. What is their general impression of Xu Caihou?

Teng Xuyan: To tell you the truth, almost none of the teachers and classmates I met said anything bad about him.He respected the teacher very much. When the teacher's 80th birthday came, he was already the vice chairman of the Military Commission. He also wrote a letter to congratulate him on his birthday.You can't find fault with him in the courtesy and the kindness with which he treats people.

His classmates had a good impression on him. He was a very high official and had a good reputation for communicating with his classmates.He invited his classmates twice.Once in Beijing, I invited more than twenty classmates to dinner.He was so sorry, he said to everybody, oh, I've been corrupted today.Because of the expense of public money, I guess it must be ten thousand dollars.Another time their class to play outside, he made a phone call to the local military area, said my class one old classmates to you that, you receive.Seeing the phone call made by the vice chairman of the military Commission, the local military area command must have received him well. He did not spend any money on accommodation or food.I know he only entertained their classmates twice.

Support President Xi to fight tigers

Xu Caihou accident because keep moral bottom line

Teng Xuyan: We support President Xi to hunt down tigers and flies and change the style of our party. Now the people hate corruption very much.But it cannot be said that catching corrupt people makes bad things better.Why don't you tell me if this could have been prevented?Is it possible to prevent a person from going bad? Xu Caihou did not go bad all at once.

I know he was cautious in the past.When Xu caihou was first transferred to Beijing, a classmate who was a boss in Hong Kong came to see him.Found his home is very general, so hot summer, rely on blowing fans.So my classmate said why so hot, you also don't install an air conditioner ah?I'll ship you one from Hong Kong and load it up.My classmate is the boss, he is rich.He said no, no, we don't have air conditioning in the home, I dare.

Therefore, xu caihou's accident surprised us all, because according to his past performance, I think he is quite timid and keeps a low profile. It can be seen that it is difficult to tell how people change

People can't keep their moral bottom line, and eventually fall in, of course, he should take the main responsibility.

But we also have problems in this environment, because I deal with military academies a lot, and I know that the climate is very bad.For example, when I'm having dinner, I toast you next to each other. I say I can't drink because it's bad for your health.After a meal, the wine is endless.I told you, the strength of our troops is reflected in the wine table.Another is the wind of luxury.The year before last, I gave a report to xx school students, xx military region invited guests, that table down I was horrified, is bear PAWS is venison, the mountain delicacies finally left so much.How much is this? I can't even eat it, to be honest.

The style of military organs is extravagant and ostentatious. Whoever is senior has the final say. There is no one who dares to stand up and tell the truth.Therefore, we should close the loopholes in the system and beat him at the first sign of making mistakes to make him correct.As President Xi said, we will deepen the reform of the political system, and so did the 18th National Congress of the CPC. I think there is great hope for China under president Xi's leadership.

Xu caihou deserved his disgrace

His lesson is worth reflecting on

Teng Xuyan: Xu Caihou collapsed, as an old classmate, my feelings are very complicated.I hate its not to contend, like the past honest good, don't forget Mr. Chen said, "hand, hand will be caught."If you become an official, you can't make a fortune. If you make even one yuan, you will bury yourself. Why didn't Xu Caihou understand that?So I think after xu Caihou's accident, all the people with power in our country should reflect on how to behave themselves and never reach out to get ill-gotten wealth.You get paid to think people don't know?There is a god three feet above the head.I believe that Xu Caihou was also very confidential when he took the money, but the paper can not cover the fire, the matter will be exposed, and will eventually be on the road to self-destruction, ruined.

Several of us were embarrassed by the fact that a general had been elected, and we all felt very sad that it was his personal tragedy.I think it's also a tragedy for our country and our military.How did the PLA not manage the cadres well? How did they let them corrupt?Xu caihou was not like this at first.I have a good friend who was xu Caihou's classmate in Changchun

Subordinate, works in an office.In the early 1990s, when he was going to be transferred to Beijing, he said something very interesting.At that time, he said nervously that I was going to be transferred to Beijing, and I felt a little uneasy. Maybe I was on a road of no return.My friends said you were joking, you are a promotion.Then Xu Caihou said, lonely at the top.

Now, unfortunately, he was right in his own words, with a sense of fate.But at least he was cautious, saying he was "lonely at the top" and afraid he could not hold on.Anyway, no matter what you are, taking bribes and making financial mistakes are beyond reproach, so he is responsible for them himself.On the other hand, from a deep reflection, we should learn a lesson in the national anti-corruption construction and should not let such a senior cadre collapse.