Online fan clubs offer window into army trends and technologies

In reality he is Li Xiao, a 21-year-old college student from central China's Anhui province. In cyberspace, he goes by the name "Land Tiger" and is a three-year veteran of Super Camp, an online military fan club.

He is among 10,000 registered users of the Guangdong-based club, whose discussion forums attract around 100,000 viewings from fellow enthusiasts each day, said Li, who feels the statistic proves the Internet is already a powerful tool to link the public and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

"You can't overlook us," he said. "We will still be an expressway linking the army and the public even after the launch of the Ministry of National Defense website. We know what interests enthusiasts."