Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established. As a result of the Cultural Revolution, ranks were abolished in May 1965 (this led to a similar reform in Albania in the midst of the Albanian Cultural and Ideological Revolution). After the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, reforms in the PLA began to be made to professionalize the armed forces once more. The 1984 Military Service Law provided for the resumption of rank, but disagreements on what ranks were to be used and who would receive them caused the revival of rank to be delayed until 1988. The following ranks and their respective insignia shown are those used by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

Current ranking system

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PLAGF officers

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The current system of officer ranks and insignia, a revision of the ranks and insignia established in 1955, began usage in 1988. The 1955 to 1965 marshal officer ranks of yuánshuài (5-star Marshal) and dà yuánshuài (6-star grand marshal) were not revived. The general officer ranks (jiang) were revised by the addition of semi-circular wreath at the bottom of the insignia and by a change in the name of the highest general officer rank from da jiang (4-star General) to yi ji shang jiang (4-star first class colonel general). This highest rank in the new system was never held and was abolished in 1994. The field officer (Xiao) and company officer (Wei) ranks were the same in title and insignia except that highest company-level officer rank of Da Wei in the 1955 to 1965 system was not included in the revived ranks. The final difference between the two systems is that in 1955 to 1965 there existed a warrant officer rank, Zhun Wei, which was not incorporated in the revived rank system, while new system had a rank for officer cadets, Xue Yuan. Despite being the rank below Shao Wei in both systems, the insignia have no similarities.

Officer rank names are usually not translated literally, but rather to a corresponding rank system. This can lead to different translations being used depending on the system chosen for the correspondences. The 1955–1965 system, with its greater number of officer ranks, is usually translated using the Soviet rank system of that era, while the modern officer ranks are usually given a NATO rank correspondence. For example, the non-literal translation used for the rank of Shang Jiang (literally "senior general") depends on whether one is comparing it to Soviet or Russian ranks (colonel general) or to British or U.S. ranks (general).

Title 上将
Shang jiang
中将
Zhong jiang
少将
Shao jiang
大校
Da xiao
上校
Shang xiao
中校
Zhong xiao
少校
Shao xiao
上尉
Shang wei
中尉
Zhong wei
少尉
Shao wei
学员
Xue yuan
Equivalent translation General Lieutenant general Major general Senior colonel Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant Officer cadet
Shoulder insignia
Collar insignia

PLAGF other ranks personnel

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The current system of other ranks and insignia dates from 2022.[1]

Unlike NATO countries, new recruits of the People's Liberation Army have no military ranks before the boot camp is completed, and they will be awarded the rank of Private/Seaman Apprentice/Airman (All collectively called "Private" or "Lie Bing" in the Chinese language) after they have graduated from the boot camp.[2] According to Article 16 of Chapter 3 of the "Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (Chinese: 中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例), "The lowest enlisted rank is Private".[2]

On February 27, 2022, the National People's Congress approved a new regulation which changes the previous Master sergeant fourth class(Chinese: 四级军士长) to Staff sergeant first class(Chinese: 一级上士).[3]

Rank group 高级军士
Gao ji jun shi
中级军士
Zhōng ji jun shi
初级军士
Chu ji jun shi
义务兵
Yi wu bing
Title 一级军士长
Yi ji jun shi zhang
二级军士长
Er ji jun shi zhang
三级军士长
San ji jun shi zhang
一级上士
Yī jí jūnshì
二级上士
yi ji shang shi
中士
Zhōng shi
下士
Xia shi
上等兵
Shang deng bing
列兵
Lie bing
Equivalent translation Master sergeant first class Master sergeant second class Master sergeant third class Staff Sergeant First Class Staff Sergeant Second Class Sergeant Corporal Private first class Private
Shoulder insignia
Collar insignia


Other military branches

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The ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force generally has the same names, position and ranks as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, and their insignia correspond except Air Force ranks are on a light blue background instead of green.

Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Navy also have corresponding insignia with a black background, but are only worn with the dress white uniforms, as only sleeve insignia are used in the dress blue uniform for officers, with other ranks retaining the shoulder board insignia.

Historic ranks

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1955–65 rank system

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The PLA adopted ranks in 1955.[4] The insignia used by officers from 1955 to 1965 by the PLA Ground Force were modelled on those used by the Soviet Army at the time and similar to the earlier Imperial Japanese Army on collar insignia, with the primary differences being the existence of an additional field officer rank, and the insignia of the highest general officer rank being four stars unlike the one large star used by the Soviet Armed Forces starting in 1963. The NCO insignia of that period showed Japanese influence with the use of stars on the collars with the specialty badge on the side. While general duties officers wore the shoulder board pattern shown below (gold and red), technical service officers sported white and red shoulder boards with their rank insignia. Ranks were abolished during the Cultural Revolution.[4]

Timeline of change

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Officer ranks
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
 PLA Ground Force[5]
(1955–1965)
大元帥
Da yuan shuai
元帥
Yuan shuai
大将
Dà jiàng
上将
Shàngjiàng
中将
Zhōngjiàng
少将
Shàojiàng
大校
Dàxiào
上校
Shàngxiào
中校
Zhōngxiào
少校
Shàoxiào
大尉
Dàwèi
上尉
Shàngwèi
中尉
Zhōngwèi
少尉
Shàowèi
准尉
Zhǔnwèi
No ranks
(1965–1985)
No ranks
(1985–1988)
 PLA Ground Force[6]
(1988–1994)
一级上将
Yī jí shàng jiàng
上将
Shàngjiàng
中将
Zhōngjiàng
少将
Shàojiàng
大校
Dàxiào
上校
Shàngxiào
中校
Zhōngxiào
少校
Shàoxiào
上尉
Shàngwèi
中尉
Zhōngwèi
少尉
Shàowèi
准尉
Zhǔnwèi
Other ranks
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 PLA Ground Force
(1955–1965)
上士
Shàng shì
中士
Zhōng shì
下士
Xià shì
上等兵
Shàngděngbīng
列兵
Lièbīng
No ranks
(1965–1985)
No ranks
(1985–1988)
 PLA Ground Force
(1988–1994)
军士长
Jūn shì zhǎng
专业军士
Zhuān yè jūn shì
上士
Shàng shì
中士
Zhōng shì
下士
Xià shì
上等兵
Shàngděngbīng
列兵
Lièbīng


 PLA Ground Force
(1995–1999)
四级军士长
Sì jí jūn shì zhǎng
四级专业军士
Sì jí zhuān yè jūn shì
三级军士长
Sān jí jūn shì zhǎng
三级专业军士
Sān jí zhuān yè jūn shì
二级军士长
Èr jí jūn shì zhǎng
二级专业军士
Èr jí zhuān yè jūn shì
一级军士长
Yī jí jūn shì zhǎng
一级专业军士
Yī jí zhuān yè jūn shì
上士
Shàng shì
中士
Zhōng shì
下士
Xià shì
上等兵
Shàngděngbīng
列兵
Lièbīng


 PLA Ground Force
(2000–2007)
六级士官
Liu ji shi guan
五级士官
Wu ji shi guan
四级士官
Si ji shi guan
三级士官
San ji shi guan
二级士官
Er ji shi guan
一级士官
Yi ji shi guan
上等兵
Shàngděngbīng
列兵
Lièbīng

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Clay, Marcus; Blasko, Dennis J.; Lee, Roderick Lee (12 August 2022). "People Win Wars: A 2022 Reality Check on PLA Enlisted Force and Related Matters". War on the Rocks. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例(Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army)" (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China. March 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "全国人大常委会拟作出决定,对现役士兵衔级制度作出明确规定 - 中华人民共和国国防部". www.mod.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  4. ^ a b "China's People's Liberation Army, the world's second largest conventional..." UPI. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  5. ^ Ping, Xu (7 August 2017). "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 (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense. p. 5. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. ^ Ping, Xu (7 August 2017). "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 (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense. p. 6. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
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