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Jiang (rank)

Rank held by general officers in some East Asian militaries

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.

01Chinese

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
PinyinShàngjiāngZhōngjiāngShàojiāng
Literal translationUpper commanderMiddle commanderLower commander
 PLA Ground Forces
 PLA Navy
 PLA Air Force
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 groupGeneral/flag officers
Chinese 一級上將二級上將中將少將
Pinyin Yiji shangjiangErji shangjiangZhongjiangShaojiang
Literal translation First class upper commander Second class upper commander Middle commander Lower commander
 Republic of China Army
Translation Full general General Lieutenant general Major general
ROC Military Police
Translation Lieutenant general Major general
 Republic of China Navy
Translation Full admiral Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral
 Republic of China Air Force
Translation Full general General Lieutenant general Major general
 Republic of China Marine Corps
Translation General Lieutenant general Major general
一級上將
Yiji shangjiang
二級上將
Erji shangjiang
中將
Zhongjiang
少將
Shaojiang
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers

02Japanese variant

The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by riku (Japanese: , lit.'land'), kai (Japanese: , lit.'sea') or (Japanese: , 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: ). 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 groupGeneral/flag officers
Japanese 幕僚長および統合作戦司令官たる将将補
Romanization Bakuryōchō-oyobi-Tōgōsakusenshireikan-taru-shōShōShō-ho
Literal translationCommander serving as Chief of staff
and
Commander in chief of the JSDF Joint Operations Command
CommanderSupplementary commander
 Japanese Army
U.S. equivalent General Lieutenant general Major general
 Japanese Navy
U.S. equivalent Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral
 Japanese Air Force
U.S. equivalent 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

Shō
将補
Shō-ho
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers

03Korean variant

Jang
Hangul
Hanja
RRjang
MRchang

North Korea

Rank groupGeneral/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
Army general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general
 Korean People's Navy
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral
 Korean People's Army Air Force
Air Force general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general
대장
Daejang
상장
Sangjang
중장
Chungjang
소장
Sojang
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers

South Korea

Rank groupGeneral/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
English translation
(Army)
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general
English translation
(Navy)
Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Rear admiral
(lower half)
English translation
(Air Force)
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 groupGeneral/flag officers

04Vietnamese variant

Rank group General/flag officers
VietnameseĐại tướngThượng tướngTrung tướngThiếu tướng
Chữ Hán大將上將中將少將
Literal translationGrand generalUpper generalMiddle generalLower general
 Vietnam People's Ground Force
Translation Army general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general
 Vietnam People's Air Force
Translation Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general
Vietnam Border Guard
Translation Lieutenant general Major general
Vietnam Coast Guard
Translation Lieutenant general Major general
VietnameseĐại tướngThượng tướngTrung tướngThiếu 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 translationMaster generalGrand generalMiddle generalLower generalQuasi-general / Rear - general
 Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(1967-1975)
Translation 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)
Translation General of the Air Force General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general
VietnameseThống tướngĐại tướngTrung tướngThiếu tướngChuẩn tướng
Rank group General/flag officers

Naval officer equivalent

Rank group General/flag officers
Vietnamese Thủy sư Đô đốc Đô đốc Phó đô đốc Đề đốc Phó đề đốc
Chữ Hán水師都督都督副都督提督副提督
Literal translationMilitary Governor of the NavyMilitary GovernorDeputy Military GovernorProvincial Military CommanderDeputy Provincial Military Commander
 Republic of Vietnam Navy
(1967-1975)
Translation Fleet Admiral Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore
Vietnamese Thủy sư Đô đốc Đô đốc Phó đô đốc Đề đốc Phó đề đốc
Rank group General/flag officers
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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Jiang (rank), written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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