10 Chinese officers promoted to rank of general

Xi Jinping (C, front), chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and other leaders pose for a group photo with ten senior Chinese military and armed police officers who have been promoted to the rank of general in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2019. Xi presented the officers with certificates of order signed by him at a ceremony the CMC held in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BEIJING, July 31 -- Ten senior Chinese military and armed police officers have been promoted to the rank of general, the highest rank for officers in active service in China.

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), presented the officers with certificates of order signed by him at a ceremony the CMC held in Beijing on Wednesday.

The promoted officers are Director of the CMC Equipment Development Department Li Shangfu, Commander of the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Yuan Yubai, Political Commissar of the Western Theater Command of the PLA Wu Shezhou, Political Commissar of the Northern Theater Command of the PLA Fan Xiaojun, Political Commissar of the Central Theater Command of the PLA Zhu Shengling, Commander of the PLA Navy Shen Jinlong, Political Commissar of the PLA Navy Qin Shengxiang, Commander of the PLA Air Force Ding Laihang, President of the National Defense University of the PLA Zheng He and Political Commissar of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force An Zhaoqing.

Xu Qiliang, CMC vice chairman, announced the orders of promotion at the ceremony, which was presided over by Zhang Youxia, the other CMC vice chairman.