China's Hu promotes generals ahead of Party Congress

BEIJING, July 6 (Reuters) Chinese President and Communist Party boss Hu Jintao promoted three senior military officers to full general rank today, state media said, ahead of a key Party meeting later this year.

The move comes as Hu is expected to map out the country's agenda over the next five years and to further consolidate his power by moving allies to key positions at the 17th Party Congress to be held in the autumn.

Hu, in a green suit he usually wears when attending military events as chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission, handed out certificates of command to the new generals in a ceremony which was broadcast on state television.

The promoted generals are Xu Qiliang, deputy chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Sun Dafa, political commissar of the General Logistics Department and Wu Shengli, commander of the PLA navy, China Central Television said.

According to their official biographies, Xu is 57, while Sun and Wu are both 61.

The official Xinhua news agency said that the promotions brought the total number of Chinese generals to 167.

Hu took over as Party chief from his predecessor Jiang Zemin at the 16th Party Congress in 2002, state presidency in 2003 and the top military post in 2004.

The Communist Party stresses its ''absolute leadership'' of the PLA and has repeatedly rebuked calls for the armed forces to be ''nationalised''. Party chiefs use promotions to seek support from the top brass and place loyal allies in the army.

Hu promoted 10 military officers to full general rank in June 2006.

Separately, state media had indirectly confirmed overseas reports that three of China's seven military regions -- Beijing, Guangzhou and Lanzhou -- had recently appointed new commanders.

Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper reported late in June that the commander of the Nanjing Military Region had also been replaced as part of a broad reshuffle.

REUTERS GT BST1917