Two senior military officers promoted to general

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and other leaders pose for a group photo with military officers who have been promoted to the rank of general in Beijing, capital of China, July 31, 2023. Xi on Monday presented certificates of order to promote two military officers to the rank of general at a ceremony. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, promoted two senior People's Liberation Army officers on Monday to the rank of general, the highest rank for officers in active service in China.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, presented the promotion certificates to Wang Houbin, commander of the PLA Rocket Force, and Xu Xisheng, the force's political commissar.

Zhang Youxia, a vice-chairman of the CMC, announced the order of promotion, which was signed by Xi, at a ceremony at the commission's headquarters in Beijing. The ceremony was presided over by He Weidong, another CMC vice-chairman.

Xi congratulated the promoted officers, who had been lieutenant generals. Later, Xi and other leaders had a group photo taken with them.

The PLA Rocket Force is in charge of managing and operating all of the nation's ballistic and cruise missiles and is believed to be one of the world's largest missile forces.

Wang is known for his long service in the PLA Navy and had been a senior officer in the East and South Sea fleets. His last known title was deputy commander of the PLA Navy.

Before his new appointment, Xu was a longtime political worker in the PLA Air Force. His title during his last public appearance was political commissar of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command.

The ceremony on Monday marked the third time that Xi has conferred the highest rank to senior commanders this year.

In January, Huang Ming, commander of the PLA Central Theater Command, was promoted to the rank of general. Five months later, Zheng Xuan, political commissar of the PLA Northern Theater Command, and Ling Huanxin, political commissar of the PLA Academy of Military Science, were given the same rank.