Chinese President Hu Jintao (7th L), also chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, poses for a group photo with the newly promoted People's Liberation Army (PLA) generals Liu Zhenqi (2nd R), the General Political Department vice director, Fan Changlong (1st R), the Jinan Military Area Command commander, Huang Xianzhong (1st L), the Shenyang Military Area Command political commissar and other senior officers at the PLA's headquarters, August 1 Mansion, in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2008. Hu raised the rank of the three PLA senior officers to general during the ceremony on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)

BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jintao, chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, on Tuesday raised the rank of three People's Liberation Army (PLA) senior officers to general. It is the army's highest rank in peacetime.

At a ceremony for the promotion held here in the PLA's headquarter, August 1 Mansion, Hu, also state president, awarded the rank to Liu Zhenqi, Huang Xianzhong and Fan Changlong.

Liu is the General Political Department vice director, while Huang serves as the Shenyang Military Area Command political commissar. Fan is the Jinan Military Area Command commander.

The PLA's major officers, including Central Military Commission's vice chairmen and commanders of the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery Corps, attended the award ceremony.

Source: Xinhua