Jiang (rank) explained

Jiang (formerly romanized chiang and usually translated general) is a general officer 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 group	General/flag officers
	Chinese: 上将	Chinese: 中将	Chinese: 少将
	Chinese: Shàngjiāng	Chinese: Zhōngjiāng	Chinese: Shàojiāng
Literal translation	Upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
^[1]
People's Armed Police
	Chinese: 上将 Chinese: Shàngjiāng	Chinese: 中将 Chinese: Zhōngjiāng	Chinese: 少将 Chinese: Shàojiāng
Rank group	General/flag officers

Chinese: Dajiang

Under the rank system in place in the PLA in the era 1955–1965, there existed the rank of Chinese: [[Da jiang|dajiang]] . 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 Chinese: yiji shangjiang when it was briefly re-established in 1988-1994 was likely due to a desire to keep the rank of Chinese: 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	Chinese: 二級上將	Chinese: 中將	Chinese: 少將
Pinyin	Chinese: Yiji shangjiang	Chinese: Erji shangjiang	Chinese: Zhongjiang	Chinese: Shaojiang
Literal translation	First class upper commander	Second class upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
^[2]
Translation^[3]	Full general	General	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
	Chinese: 一級上將 Chinese: Yiji shangjiang	Chinese: 二級上將 Chinese: Erji shangjiang	Chinese: 中將 Chinese: Zhongjiang	Chinese: 少將 Chinese: Shaojiang
Rank group	General/flag officers

Japanese variant

The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by Japanese: riku (Japanese: 陸|lit=land), Japanese: kai (Japanese: 海|lit=sea) or Japanese: kū (Japanese: 空|lit=air). The rank insignia of the Japanese: Bakuryōchō-taru-shō was enacted on December 1, 1962, and before that, it was the same three-star as other Japanese: Shō.

Rank group	General/flag officers
Japanese	Japanese: 幕僚長たる将	Japanese: 将	Japanese: 将補
Romanization	Japanese: Bakuryōchō-taru-shō	Japanese: Shō	Japanese: Shō-ho
Literal translation		Commander	Supplementary commander
^[4]
U.S. equivalent^[5]	General	Lieutenant general	Major general
U.S. equivalent	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
U.S. equivalent	General	Lieutenant general	Major general
	Japanese: 幕僚長たる将 Japanese: Bakuryōchō-taru-shō	Japanese: 将 Japanese: Shō	Japanese: 将補 Japanese: Shō-ho
Rank group	General/flag officers

Korean variant

See also: Comparative military ranks of Korea.

Jang
Hangul:	장
Hanja:	將
Rr:	Jang
Mr:	Jang

North Korea

Rank group	General/flag officers
Hangul	Korean: 대장	Korean: 상장	Korean: 중장	Korean: 소장
Hanja	Korean: 大將	Korean: 上將	Korean: 中將	Korean: 少將
Romanization	Korean: Daejang	Korean: Sangjang	Korean: Chungjang	Korean: Sojang
Literal translation	Grand commander	Upper commander	Middle commander	Lower commander
^[6]
	Army general	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
	Army general	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
	Korean: 대장 Korean: Daejang	Korean: 상장 Korean: Sangjang	Korean: 중장 Korean: Chungjang	Korean: 소장 Korean: Sojang
Rank group	General/flag officers

South Korea

Rank group	General/flag officers
Hangul	Korean: 대장	Korean: 중장	Korean: 소장	Korean: 준장
Hanja	Korean: 大將	Korean: 中將	Korean: 少將	Korean: 准將
Romanization	Korean: Daejang	Korean: Jungjang	Korean: Sojang	Korean: Junjang
Literal translation	Grand commander	Middle commander	Lower commander	Given commander
Armed Forces^[7]
English translation ^[8]	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
	Korean: 대장 Korean: Daejang	Korean: 중장 Korean: Jungjang	Korean: 소장 Korean: Sojang	Korean: 준장 Korean: Junjang
Rank group	General/flag officers

Vietnamese variant

See main article: Vietnamese military ranks and insignia.

Rank group	General/flag officers
	Vietnamese: Đại tướng	Vietnamese: Thượng tướng	Vietnamese: Trung tướng	Vietnamese: Thiếu tướng
Literal translation	Grand general	Upper general	Middle general	Lower general
^[9]
Translation^[10]	Army general	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
Translation		Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
Vietnamese	Vietnamese: Đại tướng	Vietnamese: Thượng tướng	Vietnamese: Trung tướng	Vietnamese: Thiếu tướng
Rank group	General/flag officers

South Vietnamese variant

See main article: South Vietnamese military ranks and insignia.

Rank group	General/flag officers
	Vietnamese: Thống tướng	Vietnamese: Đại tướng	Vietnamese: Trung tướng	Vietnamese: Thiếu tướng	Vietnamese: Chuẩn tướng
Literal translation	Master general	Grand general	Middle general	Lower general	Quasi-general / Rear - genaral
^[11]
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	Vietnamese: Thống tướng	Vietnamese: Đại tướng	Vietnamese: Trung tướng	Vietnamese: Thiếu tướng	Vietnamese: Chuẩn tướng
Rank group	General/flag officers

See also

• Xiao (rank)
• Wei (rank)
• Shi (rank)
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Navy
• Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force
• Ranks of the People's Armed Police
• Republic of China Armed Forces rank insignia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ping . Xu . 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 . Ministry of National Defense . 13 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228135627/http://www.mod.gov.cn/education/2017-08/07/content_4788037_8.htm . 28 December 2019 . zh . 7 August 2017.
2. Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú . zh:陸海空軍服制條例附圖 . Drawings of the Uniform Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force . Gazette of the Presidential Palace . 7 November 1996 . 6769 . 65–67 . 15 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170306002354/https://www.president.gov.tw/Portals/0/Bulletins/paper/PDF/6769-2.PDF . 6 March 2017.
3. Web site: Ministry of National Defense . Act of Commission for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces . law.moj.gov.tw . Ministry of Justice . 17 August 2022 . 4 December 2019.
4. Web site: 自衛官の階級 . Self-Defense Forces rank . mod.go.jp . Japanese Ministry of Defense . 7 June 2021 . ja.
5. Book: Dolan . Ronald E. . Worden . Robert L. . Japan: a country study . Area Handbook . 1999 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 91029874 . 449 . 5th . 12 February 2024 . National Security.
6. Book: Minnich . James M. . Worden . Robert L. . North Korea: a country study . Area Handbook . 2008 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 2008028547 . 266, 268 . 5th . 20 October 2021 . National Security.
7. Web site: gyegeubjang-ui jesig(je7joje2hang gwanlyeon) . ko:계급장의 제식(제7조제2항 관련) . Rank insignia (related to Article 7 (2)) . law.go.kr . 30 December 2021 . ko.
8. Book: Katz . Rodney P. . Savada . Andrea Matles . Shaw . William . South Korea: a country study . Area Handbook . 1992 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 91039109 . 292 . 4th . 2 January 2022 . National Security.
9. Web site: Quy định quân hiệu, cấp hiệu, phù hiệu và lễ phục của Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam . mod.gov.vn . Ministry of Defence (Vietnam) . 30 May 2021 . 26 August 2009. vi. https://web.archive.org/web/20211202031836/http://www.mod.gov.vn/wps/portal/!ut/p/b1/vZTbcqJAEIafJQ9gMcOZSxiOg6AcBW4sEVSECEEU5OmXbLJbm9RuvMk6fdVVf9fX_c_0EAkREclpcy32m66oT5vqNU_YtSraLi9BEQDgMcCgRDOYC1MicpMgngRIE3WamwPAz7VJIOqBKzgUBUTqY_2C0_mpHiGGCikIJECsiOgY0wM6W70i-ruynFfb1fYQX7ZNdtn5qHA8c6zP5WWtN7JZeulq7Id0jm6zQejicQQsiZnxbA4Q57NTs-r7sKUaVLQlv5USsiPHDjJShYe9dkQvriL39cy8OujA12x08P2QCfHIXDr1KPJw3aZRs1ueQ_tk1k_vs4F_HBHcm-2t_gvBHW9XRPJRoomhCgzsARFxDIlo7l3wlf0_BV_MEE8C7o8mfZ6bujBCgZZpCESW8IkI0GvveGuMsRzdI-iBPzrQBh0GXGhZnB7YQYXtbAE9ObRgG_RWig3Lx5Y3BqQn6MssdANJlOTL3r_eA3KPBjL_G6gt9Ndb8zHjLRwS0NSDJ3TobwdiItlXdTp9EGESU5JcG72ieOtDsFh6TK4Vy7piTSpNvZtbVTG5P_HXbTEfbE3I8eGUsfDs3MJcRU1WvTi52SWXoj-uFptwE0eD1SaoWy27ss1UyzsBf5fBgyr07TEdcUpK82dnN-SoyGZNv0CIXxou1HKc-HzKIoVLcXNBNuhNeNhYAPdT3oc2ZexMrbAYdqf6oTq-bBF5fiJsvX7OP9v3aRGdvz2QwVb6wR-xAUswWEHr2r5yswTJ9mXlBgJoW21meWUNvbIxz538yz4v4oToDpClHwx0uP8N_LwC4NGWst8ObJ6DqzlnXX2MfkeuXZ_fYv_0AytYOeM!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/. 2 December 2021. dead.
10. Book: Pike . Douglas . Cima . Ronald J. . Vietnam: a country study . Area Handbook . 1989 . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . 88600482 . 256 . 1st . 31 December 2023 . National Security.
11. Book: Armed Forces Information and Education . Uniforms of Seven Allies (DOD GEN-30) . 1968 . Department of Defense . 26-28 . 2 July 2022.