Beijing: A spokesman for Mao Zedong's
grandson has denied media reports that the revolutionary
leader's descendant had been made a general in the People's
Liberation Army (PLA), a report said on Saturday.
"Mao Xinyu can be appointed only next year before the
anniversary of the foundation of the People's Liberation Army
(August 1)", Guo Jinliang, private secretary for Mao Xinyu,
was quoted as saying by the Guangzhou Daily.
State media had reported Tuesday that Mao Xinyu, a
politician and researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences,
had been promoted in June, making him the PLA's youngest
general.
However, the Guangzhou Daily on Saturday also quoted
Mao Xinyu as saying of any promotion that "it is premature to
talk about it. I will talk about it when it happens."
State media reported earlier this week that Mao had
attended a recent function sponsored by the government of
Hunan province -- his grandfather's homeland -- wearing the
decorations of a major-general.
Mao Xinyu currently serves as vice-head of the
academy's research centre on war and military strategy. He is
also a leading member of the ruling Communist Party's Youth
League and a top parliamentary political adviser.
He is the sole grandson of Mao Zedong and was
earlier this year voted one of the most popular bloggers on
the website of the People's Daily, the ruling Communist
Party's newspaper.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, September 26, 2009, 21:43