He joined the People's Liberation Army in December 1972, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in April 1974. In 1998 he was appointed head of propaganda of the political department of the 47th Group Army, a position he held until 1999, when he was appointed head of Propaganda of the Political Department of the Lanzhou Military Region, later Director of the Political Department of the 21st Group Army. He attained the rank of major general in July 2004. In November 2005, he was appointed Director of the Political Department of the Xinjiang Military District, he remained in that position until December 2006, when he was transferred to the Nanjing Military Region, and appointed Political Commissar of the 47th Army. Fan served as Director of the Political Department of the Lanzhou MR from July 2012 to July 2014, and was appointed Deputy Political Commissar of the Lanzhou MR in July 2014.[5][6] In December 2014, he was placed under investigation by the PLA's anti-corruption agency.[7]
PB Former member of the Politburo; PLA Also a military official; CDI Member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection or affiliates ; S Committed suicide 1For details on the civil service ranks of officials, please see Civil Service of the People's Republic of China; 2Army generals listed have attained at least the rank of Major General, which usually enjoys the same administrative privileges as a civilian official of sub-provincial rank.
