Yang Dongming was born in 1949, a son of the PRC founding general Yang Chengwu. He is a native of Changting County, Fujian Province. He joined the People's Liberation Army in 1966.^[1]

Although recruited into the PLA as an air force technical officer—he graduated from Beihang University in 1977^[1] as a rocket engineer—his career advancement came mostly in the army, with postings to the Defense Technology Commission, the Hebei Military District, and the Beijing Garrison. He then worked for the PLA General Logistics Department, where he was director for the Material and Oil Department.^[2]

In December 2005,^[1] Yang was transferred back to the PLAAF as deputy commander, although he was not an airman and possessed no prior experience in PLAAF combat units or headquarters. His advancement in the Air Force was credited to the connections of his father. As one of the several deputy commanders of the PLAAF, he was in charge of the PLAAF Research Institutions (basic weapons design, research and development), the Engineering Department, and logistics.^[2]

Yang attained the rank of major general in 1994, and lieutenant general in 2007. He retired in December 2012.^[1]

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