Jiang (rank)
Jiang (simplified Chinese: 将; traditional Chinese: 將; pinyin: jiàng; Wade–Giles: chiang; Japanese: 将, romanized: Shō; Korean: 장; Hanja: 將; RR: Jang) is the rank held by general officers in some East Asian militaries. The ranks are used in both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police use three levels at present while the Republic of China Armed Forces use four.
In both North and South Korea the rank is also used.
Chinese variant
People's Liberation Army
The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by haijun (simplified Chinese: 海军; traditional Chinese: 海軍; lit. 'naval force') or kongjun (simplified Chinese: 空军; traditional Chinese: 空軍; lit. 'air force').
| Rank group | General/flag officers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 上将 Shàngjiàng | 中将 Zhōngjiàng | 少将 Shàojiàng | |
| PLA Ground Forces[1] | |||
| PLA Navy[1] | |||
| PLA Air Force[1] | |||
| People's Armed Police[1] | |||
| 上将 Shàngjiàng | 中将 Zhōngjiàng | 少将 Shàojiàng | |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | ||
Dajiang
Under the rank system in place in the PLA in the era 1955–1965, there existed the rank of dajiang (大将) or Grand General. This rank was awarded to 10 of the veteran leaders of the PLA in 1955 and never conferred again. It was considered equivalent to the Soviet rank of генера́л а́рмии (Army General) which is generally considered a five-star rank, although the insignia itself had only four. The decision to name the equivalent rank yiji shangjiang when it was briefly re-established in 1988-1994 was likely due to a desire to keep the rank of dajiang an honorary one awarded after a war, much as General of the Armies in the United States Army. It was offered to Deng Xiaoping who declined the new rank. Thus it was never conferred and scrapped in 1994.
Republic of China Armed Forces
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一級上將 Yiji shangjiang | 二級上將 Erji shangjiang | 中將 Zhongjiang | 少將 Shaojiang | |
| Literal translation | Upper leader first class | Upper leader second class | Middle leader | Lower leader |
| Republic of China Army[2] | ||||
| Translation[3] | Full general | General | Lieutenant general | Major general |
| Republic of China Navy[2] | ||||
| Translation[3] | Full admiral | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral |
| Republic of China Air Force[2] | ||||
| Translation[3] | Full general | General | Lieutenant general | Major general |
| Republic of China Marine Corps[2] | ||||
| Translation[3] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | |
| 一級上將 Yiji shangjiang | 二級上將 Erji shangjiang | 中將 Zhongjiang | 少將 Shaojiang | |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
Japanese variant
The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by riku (Japanese: 陸, lit. 'land'), kai (Japanese: 海, lit. 'sea') or kū (Japanese: 空, lit. 'air').
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 幕僚長たる将 Bakuryōchō-taru-shō | 将 Shō | 将補 Shō-ho | ||
| Literal translation | Commander serving as Chief of staff | Commander | Lower commander | |
| Japanese Army[4] | ||||
| Japanese Navy[4] | ||||
| Japanese Air Force[4] | ||||
| 幕僚長たる将 Bakuryōchō-taru-shō | 将 Shō | 将補 Shō-ho | ||
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
Korean variant
| Jang | |
| Hangul | 장 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 將 |
| Revised Romanization | Jang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Jang |
North Korea
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 대장 Daejang | 상장 Sangjang | 중장 Chungjang | 소장 Sojang | |
| Korean People's Army Ground Force[5] | ||||
| Army General | Colonel General | Lieutenant General | Major General | |
| Korean People's Army Naval Force[5] | ||||
| Admiral of the Fleet | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral | |
| Korean People's Army Air Force[5] | ||||
| Army General | Colonel general | Lieutenant general | Major general | |
| 대장 Daejang | 상장 Sangjang | 중장 Chungjang | 소장 Sojang | |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
South Korea
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 대장 Daejang | 중장 Jungjang | 소장 Sojang | 준장 Junjang | |
| Armed Forces[6] | ||||
| U.S. translation (Army)[7] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general |
| U.S. translation (Navy)[7] | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Rear admiral (lower half) |
| U.S. translation (Air Force)[7] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general |
| U.S. translation (Marine Corps) | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general |
| 대장 Daejang | 중장 Jungjang | 소장 Sojang | 준장 Junjang | |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Ping, Xu (7 August 2017). [The evolution of our military rank system over the ninety years of its establishment]. mod.gov.cn (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d [Drawings of the Uniform Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force] (PDF). Gazette of the Presidential Palace (6769): 65–67. 7 November 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d Ministry of National Defense (4 December 2019). "Act of Commission for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces". law.moj.gov.tw. Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "自衛官の階級" [Self-Defense Forces rank]. mod.go.jp (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Minnich, James M. (2008). "National Security". In Worden, Robert L. (ed.). North Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 266, 268. LCCN 2008028547. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "gyegeubjang-ui jesig(je7joje2hang gwanlyeon)" 계급장의 제식(제7조제2항 관련) [Rank insignia (related to Article 7 (2))]. law.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Katz, Rodney P. (1992). "National Security". In Savada, Andrea Matles; Shaw, William (eds.). South Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 292. LCCN 91039109. Retrieved 2 January 2022.