The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that veteran Chinese sports administrator Zhenliang He, credited with playing a major role in China's return to the Olympic fold, had died.
Zhenliang was 85.
"A career politician, Mr He was instrumental in bringing China back into the Olympic movement," said an IOC statement.
"He was elected as an IOC Member in 1981, serving in the role until 2010, when he became IOC Honorary Member.
"He sat on the IOC Executive Board three times (1985-1989, 1994-1998 and 1999-2003) and served as an IOC Vice-President from 1989 to 1993."
Zhenliang started his career in 1964 as deputy secretary general of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, and later served as the secretary general of the country's table tennis association as well as the head of the secretariat of the All-China Sports Federation.
In 1979, he was promoted to the position of deputy secretary general of the All-China Sports Federation and the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC).
He went on to become the COC president between 1989 and 1994.
