The People's Liberation Army and its affiliated People's Armed Police yesterday released a list of its 300 delegates for the upcoming 18th national party congress.
The announcement indicates that preparation for the congress has entered its final stage. The army was the last constituency to decide on its delegates.
A list of the delegates' names was published by the PLA Daily and the People's Daily. Several generals with 'princeling' backgrounds and a PLA soldier who won Olympic gold in swimming at the London Games are among the selected delegates.
The People's Armed Police will send 49 delegates while the PLA will send the rest.
Military observers say they are pleased to see open-minded generals on the list.
They include General Liu Yuan , political commissar of the General Logistics Department, who heads an anti-corruption campaign within the army; General Liu Yazhou , political commissar for the National Defence University, who once warned his hawkish military colleagues that China must embrace American-style democracy or accept a Soviet-style collapse; and General Zhang Qinsheng , 64, a deputy director of the General Staff.
Several years ago, Zhang, who was once a front runner to succeed Liang Guanglie as defence minister, was reportedly under investigation for supporting 'army nationalisation'.