Analysis: General's smile hints at changes in China power balance

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

Military personnel, especially those in the People's Liberation Army, which pledges its absolute loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, give the impression of being always blank-faced or even frowning when they appear in public.