On this day, 89 years ago, March 6, 1936 (February 13, 1936, the lunar calendar), Lao President Choumali Sayakong was born. Choumali Sayakong was born on March 6, 1936 in Azovpo Province, Laos. He was elected as a member of the Central Committee at the Third National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in 1982. In 1986, he was elected as an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee. Since then, at the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, he was successively elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He has also served successively as Minister of Defense, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Vice President of the State. At the Eighth National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in March 2006, he was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee and President of the State in June. Choumali paid a state visit to China from June 27 to July 22, 2006.