PLA navy's first spokeswoman draws attention  

海军发言人邢广梅亮相：佩大校军衔 智慧形象兼具

(ECNS) – Xing Guangmei, the first spokeswoman for the navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), has become a hot topic since she spoke Tuesday at a press conference about the 120th anniversary of the Jiawu War, the Beijing Times reported.

Senior Colonel Xing was appointed to the position last November, and is the navy's only female spokesperson. She is also the first and only spokeswoman for the PLA.

For many, it was the first time they had seen Xing speak publicly for the navy. But some reports said she had made her debut at a conference on a joint naval drill with Russia earlier in May.

Xing was a maritime law expert at the PLA's Naval Military Studies Research Institute before taking up the post. She has commented about maritime law on state television and other media outlets.

The navy has two spokespersons. The other is a male named Colonel Liang Yang. The department often deals with other countries in fields such as international law, diplomacy and maritime military strategy, making two spokespersons necessary, reports said.