Jiang (rank)

Jiang (formerly romanized chiang and usually translated general) is a general officer rank used by China and Taiwan. It is also used as jang in North and South Korea, shō in Japan, and tướng in Vietnam.

Jiang
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	將
Simplified Chinese	将
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin jiàng Wade–Giles chiang
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Tướng
Chữ Hán	將
Korean name
Hangul	장
Hanja	將
Transcriptions Revised Romanization jang
Japanese name
Kanji	将
Transcriptions Romanization shō

Chinese

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
Chinese	上将	中将	少将
Pinyin	Shàngjiāng	Zhōngjiāng	Shàojiāng
Literal translation	Upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
PLA Ground Forces[1]
PLA Navy[1]
PLA Air Force[1]
People's Armed Police[1]
	上将 Shàngjiāng	中将 Zhōngjiāng	少将 Shàojiāng
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 (Chinese: 大将; lit. 'Grand commander'). 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 army general. The decision to name the equivalent rank yiji shangjiang (Chinese: 一级上将; lit. 'Upper commander first class') 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
Chinese	一級上將	二級上將	中將	少將
Pinyin	Yiji shangjiang	Erji shangjiang	Zhongjiang	Shaojiang
Literal translation	First class upper commander	Second class upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
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'). The rank insignia of the Bakuryōchō-taru-shō was enacted on December 1, 1962, and before that, it was the same three-star as other Shō.

Rank group	General/flag officers
Japanese	幕僚長たる将	将	将補
Romanization	Bakuryōchō-taru-shō	Shō	Shō-ho
Literal translation	Commander serving as Chief of staff	Commander	Supplementary commander
Japanese Army[4]
U.S. equivalent[5]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general
Japanese Navy[4]
U.S. equivalent[5]	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
Japanese Air Force[4]
U.S. equivalent[5]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general
	幕僚長たる将 Bakuryōchō-taru-shō	将 Shō	将補 Shō-ho
Rank group	General/flag officers

Korean variant

See also: Comparative military ranks of Korea

Jang
Hangul	장
Hanja	將
Revised Romanization	Jang
McCune–Reischauer	Jang

North Korea

Rank group	General/flag officers
Hangul	대장	상장	중장	소장
Hanja	大將	上將	中將	少將
Romanization	Daejang	Sangjang	Chungjang	Sojang
Literal translation	Grand commander	Upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
Korean People's Army Ground Force[6]
	Army general	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
Korean People's Navy[6]
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
Korean People's Army Air Force[6]
	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
Hangul	대장	중장	소장	준장
Hanja	大將	中將	少將	准將
Romanization	Daejang	Jungjang	Sojang	Junjang
Literal translation	Grand commander	Middle commander	Lower commander	Given commander
Armed Forces[7]
English translation (Army)[8]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
English translation (Navy)[8]	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Rear admiral (lower half)
English translation (Air Force)[8]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
English translation (Marine Corps)	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
	대장 Daejang	중장 Jungjang	소장 Sojang	준장 Junjang
Rank group	General/flag officers

Vietnamese variant

Main article: Vietnamese military ranks and insignia

Rank group	General/flag officers
Vietnamese	Đại tướng	Thượng tướng	Trung tướng	Thiếu tướng
Chữ Hán	大將	上將	中將	少將
Literal translation	Grand general	Upper general	Middle general	Lower general
Vietnam People's Ground Force[9]
Translation[10]	Army general	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
Vietnam People's Air Force[9]
Translation[10]		Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
Vietnamese	Đại tướng	Thượng tướng	Trung tướng	Thiếu tướng
Rank group	General/flag officers

South Vietnamese variant

Main article: South Vietnamese military ranks and insignia

Rank group	General/flag officers
Vietnamese	Thống tướng	Đại tướng	Trung tướng	Thiếu tướng	Chuẩn tướng
Chữ Hán	統將	大將	中將	少將	准將
Literal translation	Master general	Grand general	Middle general	Lower general	Quasi-general / Rear - general
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (1967-1975)[11]
Translation[11]	General of the Army	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
Republic of Vietnam Marine Division (1967-1975)
Translation			Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
Republic of Vietnam Air Force (1967-1975)[11]
Translation[11]	General of the Air Force	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
Vietnamese	Thống tướng	Đại tướng	Trung tướng	Thiếu tướng	Chuẩn tướng
Rank group	General/flag officers

See also

• Xiao (rank)
• Wei (rank)
• Shi (rank)
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Navy
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force
• Ranks of the People's Armed Police
• Republic of China Armed Forces rank insignia

References

1. Ping, Xu (7 August 2017). "我军建军九十年军衔制度沿革" [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.
2. "Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú" 陸海空軍服制條例附圖 [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.
3. 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.
4. "自衛官の階級" [Self-Defense Forces rank]. mod.go.jp (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
5. Dolan, Ronald E. (1999). "National Security". In Worden, Robert L. (ed.). Japan: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 449. LCCN 91029874. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
6. 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.
7. "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.
8. 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.
9. "Quy định quân hiệu, cấp hiệu, phù hiệu và lễ phục của Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam". mod.gov.vn (in Vietnamese). Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
10. Pike, Douglas (1989). "National Security". In Cima, Ronald J. (ed.). Vietnam: a country study. Area Handbook (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 256. LCCN 88600482. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
11. Armed Forces Information and Education (1968). Uniforms of Seven Allies (DOD GEN-30). Department of Defense. pp. 26–28. Retrieved 2 July 2022.