According to Xinhua, recently Chinese government awarded three PLA researchers. Professor Xiao Fei, Director of a research institute at the Naval Engineering University, was awarded the ‘First Class’. 

(Comment: Interestingly a blogger asked on the Xinhua site how many of the ‘young scientists’ were in the early 40s. It also asked that when a number of technologies surpass those of the United States, how does the state grant only first class merit!)