Many of the founding generals of New China either worked in the military headquarters or were transferred to the Grand Military Region as commanders and political commissars. However, these generals were able to survive the storm in the following decades, and not many positions were constantly promoted, but Chen Xilian was one of them.
Chen Xilian, who joined the Red Army at the age of 14, was transferred from an ordinary soldier to a guard, and then rose all the way to the rank of military commander, serving as a company commander, battalion commander, regiment commander, division commander and other positions. Speaking of his role as a guard, the chief who protected him at that time was the later founding lieutenant general Zhan Caifang, who had always held a higher position than Chen Xilian during the Red Army period.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he served as the regimental commander and was famous for fighting a night attack on the Japanese airfield at Yangmingbao. Later, he was promoted to deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, and commander of the military district.
During the liberation period, he served as the commander of the column of the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Field Army, and was later promoted to the commander of the Second Field Corps. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1950 he served as the first artillery commander and was awarded the rank of general.
In 1959, he succeeded Deng Hua, commander of the Shenyang Military Region, as commander of the Shenyang Military Region, for 14 years. In 1973, the military region was transferred, and he was transferred with Li Desheng, commander of the Beijing Military Region, and served as the commander of the Beijing Military Region.
Not only that, but during the special period, he also held more important vice-state positions, and also entered the central institutions. Among the generals, there are not many generals like him who are strong in everything. In 1982, he took a back seat and was elected as a member of the Central Advisory Committee, where he died of illness in 1999.