The People's Liberation Army has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established. As a result of the Cultural Revolution, ranks were abolished in May 1965. After the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, reforms in the PLA began to be made to professionalize the armed forces once more. The 1984 Military Service Law provided for the resumption of rank, but disagreements on what ranks were to be used and who would receive them caused the revival of rank to be delayed until 1988. The following ranks and their respective insignia shown are those used by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.
Current ranking system
PLAGF officers
The current system of officer ranks and insignia, a revision of the ranks and insignia established in 1955, began usage in 1988. The 1955 to 1965 marshal officer ranks of yuánshuài (5-star Marshal) and dà yuánshuài (6-star grand marshal) were not revived. The general officer ranks (jiang) were revised by the addition of semi-circular wreath at the bottom of the insignia and by a change in the name of the highest general officer rank from da jiang (4-star General) to yi ji shang jiang (4-star first class colonel general). This highest rank in the new system was never held and was abolished in 1994. The field officer (Xiao) and company officer (Wei) ranks were the same in title and insignia except that highest company-level officer rank of Da Wei in the 1955 to 1965 system was not included in the revived ranks. The final difference between the two systems is that in 1955 to 1965 there existed a warrant officer rank, Zhun Wei, which was not incorporated in the revived rank system, while new system had a rank for officer cadets, Xue Yuan. Despite being the rank below Shao Wei in both systems, the insignia have no similarities.
Officer rank names are usually not translated literally, but rather to a corresponding rank system. This can lead to different translations being used depending on the system chosen for the correspondences. The 1955–1965 system, with its greater number of officer ranks, is usually translated using the Soviet rank system of that era, while the modern officer ranks are usually given a NATO rank correspondence. For example, the non-literal translation used for the rank of Shang Jiang (literally "senior general") depends on whether one is comparing it to Soviet or Russian ranks (colonel general) or to British or U.S. ranks (general).
Title | 上将 Shang jiang |
中将 Zhong jiang |
少将 Shao jiang |
大校 Da xiao |
上校 Shang xiao |
中校 Zhong xiao |
少校 Shao xiao |
上尉 Shang wei |
中尉 Zhong wei |
少尉 Shao wei |
学员 Xue yuan |
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Equivalent translation | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Senior colonel | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | First lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Officer cadet |
Collar insignia | ![]() |
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Shoulder insignia | ![]() |
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PLAGF other ranks personnel
The current system of other ranks and insignia dates from 2009.[1]
Unlike NATO countries, new recruits of the People's Liberation Army have no military ranks before the boot camp is completed, and they will be awarded the rank of Private/Seaman Apprentice/Airman (All collectively called "Private" or "Lie Bing" in the Chinese Language) after they have graduated from the boot camp.[2] According to Article 16 of Chapter 3 of the "Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (Chinese: 中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例), "The lowest enlisted rank is Private".[2]
Title | 一级军士长 Yi ji jun shi zhang |
二级军士长 Er ji jun shi zhang |
三级军士长 San ji jun shi zhang |
四级军士长 Si ji jun shi zhang |
上士 Shang shi |
中士 Zhong shi |
下士 Xia shi |
上等兵 Shang deng bing |
列兵 Lie bing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equivalent translation | Master sergeant first class | Master sergeant second class | Master sergeant third class | Master sergeant fourth class | Senior sergeant | Sergeant | Junior sergeant | Private first class | Private |
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Other military branches
The ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force generally has the same names, position and ranks as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, and their insignia correspond except Air Force ranks are on a light blue background instead of green.
Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Navy also have corresponding insignia with a black background, but are only worn with the dress white uniforms, as only sleeve insignia are used in the dress blue uniform for officers, with other ranks retaining the shoulder board insignia.
Historic ranks
1955–65 rank system
The insignia used by officers from 1955 to 1965 by the PLA Ground Force were modelled on those used by the Soviet Army at the time and similar to the earlier Imperial Japanese Army on collar insignia, with the primary differences being the existence of an additional field officer rank, and the insignia of the highest general officer rank being four stars unlike the one large star used by the Soviet Armed Forces starting in 1963. The NCO insignia of that period showed Japanese influence with the use of stars on the collars with the specialty badge on the side. While general duties officers wore the shoulder board pattern shown below (gold and red), technical service officers sported white and red shoulder boards with their rank insignia.
Timeline of change
- Officer ranks
Rank group | General/flag officers | Field/senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() (1955–1965) |
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大元帥 Da yuan shuai |
元帥 Yuan shuai |
大将 Dà jiàng |
上将 Shàngjiàng |
中将 Zhōngjiàng |
少将 Shàojiàng |
大校 Dàxiào |
上校 Shàngxiào |
中校 Zhōngxiào |
少校 Shàoxiào |
大尉 Dàwèi |
上尉 Shàngwèi |
中尉 Zhōngwèi |
少尉 Shàowèi |
准尉 Zhǔnwèi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
No ranks (1965–1988) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() (1988–1994) |
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一级上将 Yī jí shàng jiàng |
上将 Shàngjiàng |
中将 Zhōngjiàng |
少将 Shàojiàng |
大校 Dàxiào |
上校 Shàngxiào |
中校 Zhōngxiào |
少校 Shàoxiào |
上尉 Shàngwèi |
中尉 Zhōngwèi |
少尉 Shàowèi |
准尉 Zhǔnwèi |
- Other ranks
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() (1955–1965) |
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上士 Shàng shì |
中士 Zhōng shì |
下士 Xià shì |
上等兵 Shàngděngbīng |
列兵 Lièbīng
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![]() (1988–1994) |
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Jūn shì zhǎng |
Zhuān yè jūn shì |
上士 Shàng shì |
中士 Zhōng shì |
下士 Xià shì |
上等兵 Shàngděngbīng |
列兵 Lièbīng
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![]() (1995–1999) |
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四级军士长 Sì jí jūn shì zhǎng |
Sì jí zhuān yè jūn shì |
三级军士长 Sān jí jūn shì zhǎng |
Sān jí zhuān yè jūn shì |
二级军士长 Èr jí jūn shì zhǎng |
Èr jí zhuān yè jūn shì |
一级军士长 Yī jí jūn shì zhǎng |
Yī jí zhuān yè jūn shì |
上士 Shàng shì |
中士 Zhōng shì |
下士 Xià shì |
上等兵 Shàngděngbīng |
列兵 Lièbīng
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![]() (2000–2007) |
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Liu ji shi guan |
Wu ji shi guan |
Si ji shi guan |
San ji shi guan |
Er ji shi guan |
Yi ji shi guan |
上等兵 Shàngděngbīng |
列兵 Lièbīng |
See also
References
- ^ 全军和武警部队年底前将全面施行新的士官制度
- ^ a b "中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例(Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army)" (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China. March 2, 2016.
- ^ 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. p. 5. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ 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. p. 6. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.