By Peng Pu

Mao Xinyu, the grandson of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, was promoted to the rank of major general, which makes him the youngest person in the People's Liberation Army to hold that rank presently.

Shortly before the 83rd Anniversary of the founding of the army, which was Sunday, Mao was among other young military officers who were promoted to higher ranks.

Bao Guojun, a spokesman at the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS), confirmed Sunday to the Global Times that Mao was promoted from the rank of senior colonel to major general.

The promotion was done before Sunday's Army Day but the specific date was not provided.

"This is a natural elevation. Mao's many achievements earned him the right to be promoted," he said.

Mao, born in 1970, is currently a researcher at AMS, where he also completed his doctorate.

He appears to be the very model of a modern major general and has his own Internet blog.

In a May 14 entry, he talked about his visit to North Korea, where he visited the tombs of Chinese volunteer army soldiers.

In his latest entry on June 26, he wrote about his uncle, Mao Anying, who died in North Korea during the Korean War.

According to an official website in Yuanba district of Sichuan Province, Mao went there for an investigation trip in Guangyuan on Thursday.

Several photos released online showed Mao in a major general uniform.

Xu Hui, a professor at the National Defense University, told the Global Times Sunday that more and more younger military officials would move ahead faster.

"Among the group of senior military officials, we will see more and more young people," he said.

At 40, Mao is not the youngest officer to gain the rank of major general in the history of the army.

Wang Tao, born in 1967, was a former Olympic champion in table tennis. He was promoted to major general in 2002 at 35.

Yang Liwei, born in 1965 and the first Chinese astronaut sent into space, was promoted to major general in 2008, when he was 43.

In July, President Hu Jintao, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, announced that 11 other senior uniformed officers were promoted to full general, including three in their 50s.

Full generals in the Chinese army or air force, along with admirals in the PLA navy, are China's highest-ranking military officers.

Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao said that this development shows that Chinese military authorities are giving more chances to officers at younger ages.

Gu Haibing, a professor at the Renmin University of China, was quoted by South Weekend as saying that the aging population among officials and an overly cumbersome organization are contradictory to the current information age.

"Military officers are on average older than those in other countries, with many senior officers in their 60s to 70s," he said.

He suggested that the multiple tiers in the army should be trimmed.

Gu also called for the army to reduce the number of non-combat personnel, especially those specializing in sports and arts, in order to save money and enhance the army's combat ability.