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.
Chinese People's Liberation Army
The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by haijun () or kongjun ().
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers Chinese Pinyin Literal translation Upper commander Middle commander Lower commander Rank groupGeneral/flag officers
Under the rank system in place in the PLA in the era 1955–1965, there existed the rank of (). 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 () when it was briefly re-established in 1988-1994 was likely due to a desire to keep the rank of 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 Pinyin Literal translation First class upper commander Second class upper commander Middle commander Lower commander Translation Full general General Lieutenant general Major general ROC Military Police Translation Lieutenant general Major general Translation Full admiral Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Translation Full general General Lieutenant general Major general Translation General Lieutenant general Major general Rank group General/flag officers
Japanese variant The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by (), () or (). The rank insignia of the () was enacted on December 1, 1962, and before that, it was the same three-star as other (). The English notation of the in the English version of the Defense White Paper until 2024 is as follows. () GEN, ADM or Gen serving as Chief of Staff Joint Staff Office. () General serving as JGSDF Chief of Staff. () General. () Admiral serving as JMSDF Chief of Staff. () Vice Admiral. () General serving as JASDF Chief of Staff. () General.
Rank group General/flag officers Japanese Romanization Literal translation Commander serving as Chief of staffand Commander in chief of the JSDF Joint Operations Command Commander Supplementary commander U.S. equivalent General Lieutenant general Major general U.S. equivalent Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral U.S. equivalent General Lieutenant general Major general Rank group General/flag officers
Korean variant
North Korea Rank group General/flag officers Hangul Hanja Romanization Literal translation Grand commander Upper commander Middle commander Lower commander Army general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Air Force general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Rank group General/flag officers
South Korea Rank group General/flag officers Hangul Hanja Romanization Literal translation Grand commander Middle commander Lower commander Given commander Armed Forces English translation General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general English translation Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Rear admiral(lower half) English translation General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general English translation General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Rank group General/flag officers
Vietnamese variant
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers Vietnamese Chữ Hán Literal translation Grand general Upper general Middle general Lower general Translation Army general Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Translation Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Vietnam Border Guard Translation Lieutenant general Major general Vietnam Coast Guard Translation Lieutenant general Major general Vietnamese Rank groupGeneral/flag officers
South Vietnamese variant
Rank groupGeneral/flag officers Vietnamese Chữ Hán Literal translation Master general Grand general Middle general Lower general Quasi-general / Rear - general Translation General of the Army General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Translation Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Translation General of the Air Force General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Vietnamese Rank groupGeneral/flag officers Naval officer equivalent Rank groupGeneral/flag officers Vietnamese Chữ Hán Literal translation Military Governor of the Navy Military Governor Deputy Military Governor Provincial Military Commander Deputy Provincial Military Commander Translation Fleet Admiral Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore Vietnamese Rank groupGeneral/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)
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