Zhou Deli was born in September 1922 in Xizhaitang Village, Mentougou District, Beijing. He joined the Eighth Route Army in his hometown on July 15, 1939, serving as a soldier in the 10th Regiment of the Pingbei Military Subdistrict. He became a member of the Chinese Communist Party in the same year. In 1953, Zhou was appointed the First Deputy Division Commander and Chief of Staff of the 215th Division under the 55th Army, working under Division Commander Zhang Jingbai and Political Commissar Jiang Tengjiao. In 1954, he was promoted to Division Commander of the 215th Division, with Li Zhenjun as Political Commissar.[2]
Zhou was awarded the military rank of senior colonel in 1955 and subsequently enrolled in the Senior Accelerated Course of the Nanjing Military Academy. Upon graduation in 1957, he remained at the academy as an instructor in the Department of Campaign Tactics.[3]
In 1960, Zhou was again confirmed at the senior colonel level. In April 1970, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Guangxi Military District, and in November 1971, he became the Commander of the 55th Army, serving alongside Political Commissar Yan Shuhu. He later rose to the position of Chief of Staff of the Guangzhou Military Region in December 1977 and was transferred to serve as Chief of Staff of the Nanjing Military Region in December 1980. Zhou retired from active duty in June 1985.[4]
He was a delegate to the 10th and 11th National Congresses of the Chinese Communist Party and also served as a deputy to the 6th National People's Congress. Zhou Deli was the recipient of several military honors, including the Third Class Medal of Independence and Freedom and the Second Class Medal of Liberation.[5]
On July 21, 2025, Zhou died in Nanjing, Jiangsu.[1]
People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China