It took three weeks for Chinese state media to report on the death of a senior general of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Zhang Xudong, former chief of the PLA’s Western Theater Command, died from illness in Beijing on Oct. 1, according to state media Xinhua News Agency on Oct. 21. He was reportedly 58 years of age. The announcement provided no specifics about the illness that caused his death. State media outlets seldom mention much in the way of personal details about high-ranking officials in their reports. The announcement came 20 days after the general’s death and such delays in China are considered a rare occurrence but the date of his death coincided with communist China’s national day. The Chinese Communist Party established its regime on Oct. 1, 1949. On the same day two years ago, Zhang rocketed to public attention when he showed up as the vice commander …