Former non-communist party leader dies at 82

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Liu Heng, former vice chairman of the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), passed away at the age of 82 on July 11 in Beijing.

An official statement issued on Tuesday described Liu as a close friend of the Communist Party of China, and an excellent leader of the CNDCA.

Born in April 1936 in Shanghai, Liu was vice chairman of the sixth, seventh and eighth central committee of the CNDCA, one of China's eight non-communist political parties.