Xi presents order to promote military officer to rank of general

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, promoted He Hongjun, executive deputy director of the CMC's Political Work Department, to the rank of general on Tuesday.

At a ceremony at the CMC's headquarters building in Beijing, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, presented the promotion order certificate to He.

A native of northwestern China's Shaanxi province, He, 62, has served in various political posts in the People's Liberation Army.

According to previously published information, he had been political commissar of an infantry division of the PLA Ground Force stationed in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, head of the political department of the PLA Qinghai Provincial Command, deputy director of the personnel department of the PLA General Political Department, and assistant to the director of the CMC Political Work Department.

The officer is also a member of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

The current director of the CMC Political Work Department is Admiral Miao Hua, 68, who was promoted to the post in September 2017.

The ceremony was attended by all members of the top military commission and some senior commanders of the Chinese military. It marked the second time that Xi has conferred the highest rank on senior commanders this year.

It is common for the Chinese military to promote commanders to the rank of general or admiral, the highest rank currently available to officers, before Army Day, which falls on Aug 1 each year.

In another development, Xi conferred an honorary title at another ceremony on Tuesday on an artillery company of the PLA Ground Force.

In addition, he recently signed an order to commend a military unit and a senior researcher at the PLA Army Engineering University.