He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army in 1958 and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1961.

[2] After graduation, he was appointed deputy commander of the Lanzhou Military Region Air Force (MRAF).

[1] In October 1994, Liu transferred to the PLAAF headquarters to serve as deputy commander.

[3] During his tenure, he oversaw the development of advanced weaponry,[1] began emphasizing the need to fight offensive battles, and enhanced training involving air deterrence, interdiction, and joint exercises.

[1] Liu stepped down from his post due to illness[5] in February 2002 and was replaced by Qiao Qingchen as commander.