The Central Military Commission has promoted 28 armed police officers to the rank of major general.

A total of 63 officers have so far been awarded the rank of major general.

The promotion ceremony was held Monday for the 28 officers from the Ministry of Public Security's Fire Department, Guard Department and Armed Police Institute, as well as provincial public security departments.

China has 230,000 police officers in military service, according to State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang.

They are an important part of China's armed forces and an important component of the public security department, said Zhou, who is also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

In 1988, when China resumed the practice of granting ranks to police officers, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress issued a series of regulations.

So far, almost 1.7 million police officers have been awarded armed police ranks and civilian police ranks of different levels.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2006)