About 90 foreign journalists toured a People's Liberation Army (PLA) division north of Beijing on July 28, a move the military sees as reflecting its increasing openness to the world.
The visit followed an announcement last week by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) that it is launching a website, open to the public, to provide information about the military.
People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers attend a drill during a reporting trip to the Third Guard Division of PLA in Beijing July 28, 2009.
With 2.3 million servicemen and servicewomen - the most in the world - the PLA is trying to be more accessible, military officials say.
The event yesterday attracted reporters from 60 media outlets to the army's Third Guard Division, a motorized infantry force that safeguards the nation's capital. Another 17 domestic journalists joined the group.