Jiang (rank)
Rank held by general officers in some East Asian militaries
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jiang (formerly romanized chiang and usually translated general or, for navies, admiral) is a general officer (or flag officer for navies) 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 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Vietnamese name | |||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | Tướng | ||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 將 | ||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||
| Hangul | 장 | ||||||||
| Hanja | 將 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||
| Kanji | 将 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
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][a] |
 |
 |
 |
 PLA Navy[1] |
  |
  |
  |
 PLA Air Force[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 |
 ROC Military Police[2] |
 |
 | ||
| Translation[3] | 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 (Japanese: 幕僚長たる将) was enacted on December 1, 1962, and before that, it was the same three-star as other Shō (Japanese: 将). The English notation of the Shō in the English version of the Defense White Paper until 2024 is as follows.
- Tōgōbakuryōchō-taru-Rikusho, Kaishõ,mata-ha Kũshō (Japanese: 統合幕僚長たる陸将、海将または空将) GEN, ADM or Gen serving as Chief of Staff Joint Staff Office.
- Rikujōbakuryōchō-taru-Rikushō (Japanese: 陸上幕僚長たる陸将) General serving as JGSDF Chief of Staff.
- Rikushō (Japanese: 陸将) General.
- Kaijōbakuryōchō-taru-Kaishō (Japanese: 海上幕僚長たる海将) Admiral serving as JMSDF Chief of Staff.
- Kaishō (Japanese: 海将) Vice Admiral.
- Kōkūbakuryōchō-taru-Kũshō (Japanese: 航空幕僚長たる空将) General serving as JASDF Chief of Staff.
- Kūshō (Japanese: 空将) General.
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 幕僚長および統合作戦司令官たる将 | 将 | 将補 | |
| Romanization | Bakuryōchō-oyobi-Tōgōsakusenshireikan-taru-shō | Shō | Shō-ho | |
| Literal translation | Commander serving as Chief of staff and Commander in chief of the JSDF Joint Operations Command | Commander | Supplementary commander | |
 Japanese Army[4] |
(dark_purple).svg) |
(dark_purple).svg) |
(dark_purple).svg) | |
| U.S. equivalent[5] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | |
 Japanese Navy[4] |
.svg)  |
.svg)  |
.svg)  | |
| U.S. equivalent[5] | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | |
 Japanese Air Force[4] |
.svg) |
.svg) |
.svg) | |
| U.S. equivalent[5] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | |
| 幕僚長および統合作戦司令官たる将 Bakuryōchō-oyobi-Tōgōsakusenshireikan-taru-shō | 将 Shō | 将補 Shō-ho | ||
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
Korean variant
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
| 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][b] |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Translation[10] | Army general | Colonel general | Lieutenant general | Major general |
 Vietnam People's Air Force[9] |
 |
 |
 | |
| Translation[10] | Colonel general | Lieutenant general | Major general | |
 Vietnam Border Guard[9] |
 |
 | ||
| Translation[10] | Lieutenant general | Major general | ||
 Vietnam Coast Guard[9] |
 |
 | ||
| Translation[10] | Lieutenant general | Major general | ||
| Vietnamese | Đại tướng | Thượng tướng | Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng |
| Rank group | General/flag officers | |||
South Vietnamese variant
| 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
Ranks used in Chinese character-using countries
- General officer: Jiang (rank)
- Senior officer: Sa (rank), Xiao (rank), Lyeong
- Junior officer: Wei (rank)
- Non-commissioned officers: Shi (rank)
- Enlisted ranks: Bing (rank), Shi (rank)
Notes
- Same insignia for the Armed Police,[1] Rocket Force, Aerospace Force, and Cyberspace Force.
- Same insignia for the Cyberspace Operations and Mausoleum Command.