He also served as Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff and President of the PLA National Defence University.

Ma joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1969, and beginning in 1972 saw a continuous series of promotions.

In March 1997, Ma became the deputy head of staff of the PLA Air Force.

The next year, he served as the head of staff of the Air Force of the Guangzhou Military Region.

[2] He succeeded Xiong Guangkai as chairman of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS).