Jiang (rank)
Jiang (simplified Chinese: 将; traditional Chinese: 將; pinyin: jiàng; Wade–Giles: chiang) is the rank held by general officers in the militaries of 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.
The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by haijun (simplified Chinese: 海军; traditional Chinese: 海軍; literally: "naval force") or kongjun (simplified Chinese: 空军; traditional Chinese: 空軍; literally: "air force").
People's Liberation Army
| Rank | Literal translation |
Army translation |
Navy translation |
PLA ground force insignia |
PLA naval force insignia |
PLA Air force insignia |
NATO rank equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yiji shangjiang (一级上将) Rank existed only 1988-1994; never held |
First class upper general | General of the army | Fleet admiral | (zh) | OF-10 | ||
| Shangjiang (上将) | Upper general | General | Admiral |  |
 |
 |
OF-9 |
| Zhongjiang (中将) | Middle general | Lieutenant general | Vice admiral |  |
 |
 |
OF-8 |
| Shaojiang (少将) | Junior general | Major general | Rear admiral |  |
 |
 |
OF-7 |
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 (general of the army) 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.
Republic of China (Taiwan) Army
Insignia adopted in 1959. Rank names are shown below using Hanyu Pinyin and traditional Chinese characters.
| Rank | Army translation |
Navy translation |
ROC Army insignia |
NATO rank equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yiji shangjiang (一級上將) | General first class | Admiral first class |  |
OF-9 |
| Erji shangjiang (二級上將) | General | Admiral |  |
OF-9 |
| Zhongjiang (中將) | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral |  |
OF-8 |
| Shaojiang (少將) | Major general | Rear admiral |  |
OF-7 |