BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Former senior Chinese military leader Zhang Wannian passed away on Wednesday in Beijing at the age of 87.

Zhang, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, died after an illness at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

He joined the army in 1944 and the Communist Party of China (CPC) a year later. He was promoted to the rank of a general in 1993.

Zhang was also a member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the 15th CPC Central Committee.