国内英语新闻:China promotes 3 generals, bringing total to 174

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Central Military Commission (CMC) conferred the rank of general on three senior military officers here on Monday, bringing the total number of generals to 174.

CMC Chairman Hu Jintao awarded the officers certificates of command at the promotion ceremony. An order for the promotion was announced by CMC Vice-Chairman Guo Boxiong.

    The senior officers are deputy chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ma Xiaotian, political commissar of the PLA's Academy of Military Sciences Liu Yuan, and political commissar of Chengdu Military Area Command Zhang Haiyang.

China's Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman Hu Jintao (C) poses with newly-promoted generals, namely Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ma Xiaotian (2nd L), Political Commissar of PLA's Academy of Military Sciences Liu Yuan (1st R), and Political Commissar of the Chengdu Military Area Command Zhang Haiyang (1st L) in Beijing, capital of China, July 20, 2009. CMC conferred the rank of general on the three senior military officers here on Monday.

    China began to confer military ranks to military and police officers in 1955, when Chairman Mao Zedong promoted 10 senior officers to the rank of marshal, a rank which was later abolished.

    Premier Zhou Enlai then issued a decree conferring the rank of general on 55 officers in 1955 and one each in 1956 and 1958.

    Only one veteran of the revolution that founded the People's Republic of China who was among the first group of generals is still alive: 104-year-old Lu Zhengcao, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

    In 1965, the CMC abolished the system of military ranks and then resumed it in 1988. Since then, 118 senior military and police officers have been promoted to the rank of full general.

    Hong Xuezhi, who became a member of the CMC in 1988, was the only officer to receive the honor twice in 1955 and 1988.

    The PLA recognizes 10 military ranks for officers in active service: general, lieutenant general and major general; senior colonel, colonel, lieutenant colonel and major; captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant.