When China held its first Victory Day military parade in 2015, more than 50 generals joined troops to march down Changan Avenue in central Beijing.
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The generals of all stripes led dozens of formations past the Tiananmen rostrum, saluting President Xi Jinping and other leaders as the official announcer read out each commander’s name.
By taking the unprecedented steps, the senior commanders were setting an example for the soldiers, a spokesman for the parade organisers said at the time.
The generals were also out in force for the National Day parade in 2019, giving observers a rare opportunity to see the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) new generation of rising stars.
The PLA does not regularly announce personnel changes, nor is it quick to say which generals are under investigation, so the events were also a valuable chance to learn who was in charge of each unit.
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In all, 89 generals were announced as they led 59 formations in the parade – four full generals, two lieutenant generals, and 83 major generals. These included the commanders of China’s five theatre commands, who led the flag formation.