In 1996, the Central Military Commission promoted four generals. Who were they? What position does it hold?
In the early 1980s, Deng Xiaoping, then Chairman of the Central Military Commission, put the restoration of the military rank system on the agenda based on the needs of our military to strengthen the revolutionization, modernization, and regularization of our military.
After further demonstration, the Central Military Commission believed that military ranks in peacetime cannot simply copy 55-style military ranks , and need to be innovated on the basis of inheritance. In 1986, after many discussions and studies, the Central Military Commission's executive meeting made an important decision:
no longer mentioned "restoring the military rank system", but stated it as "implementing a new military rank system."
▲88-style military rank system General rank shoulder insignia
In September 1988, after years of deliberation, the Central Military Commission officially implemented the new military rank system. Different from the Type 55 military ranks, the Type 88 general military ranks have four levels. From lowest to highest, they are major general, lieutenant general, general, and first-level general.
In this conferment, a total of 17 senior generals were awarded the rank of general ( first-level generals were established but not ). The specific list is as shown in the figure below:
▲ List and positions of 17 generals awarded in 1988
The new military rank system was implemented for the first time, and some senior generals in the Zhengda Military Region were generally awarded the rank of lieutenant general. In the 1990s, the Central Military Commission adjusted the standards for awarding titles and held two promotion ceremonies in 1993 and 1994.
In January 1996, the Central Military Commission held a general promotion ceremony. This was the third promotion ceremony since the implementation of the new military rank system in 1988. A total of 4 people were promoted to generals. The details are as follows:
Zhou Ziyu Deputy Director of the General Political Department and Secretary of the Central Military Commission's Discipline Inspection Commission
Zhou Ziyu was born in November 1935 in Wucheng, Shandong Province. In 1951, Zhou Ziyu was drafted into the army and entered the Air Force Cadre School. After graduation, Zhou Ziyu served as an assistant at the Fifth Aviation School of the Air Force. By October 1977, Zhou Ziyu had served as deputy director of the Air Force Organization Department of the Lanzhou Military Region (he later became director ).
Since July 1981, Zhou Ziyu has successively served as political commissar of the Air Force Aviation Division, political commissar of the 16th Aviation School, director of the political department of the Air Force Surface-to-Air Missile Academy, and political commissar of a certain military unit of the Air Force. In September 1988, our army implemented a new military rank system, and Zhou Ziyu was awarded the rank of major general.
▲Zhou Ziyu
In June 1990, Zhou Ziyu served as deputy political commissar of the Air Force of the Guangzhou Military Region, and later served as political commissar of the Air Force Command Academy (full military position). In November 1992, the leadership team of the General Political Department was adjusted. Yu Yongbo became the director of the General Political Department, and Zhou Ziyu was promoted to the assistant director of the General Political Department.
In May 1993, Zhou Ziyu served as deputy director of the General Political Department and secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China. In July of that year, Zhou Ziyu was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In January 1996, Zhou Ziyu was promoted to the rank of general until he retired in 2000.
Yu Zhenwu Air Force Commander
Yu Zhenwu was born in January 1931 in Kuandian, Liaoning Province. In December 1947, Yu Zhenwu joined the army and was assigned to the Operations Section of the Andong Military Region Headquarters as a scribe. Entering 1948, Yu Zhenwu followed his troops in the southern and northern campaigns, and participated in the Liaoshen and Pingjin campaigns.
In 1950, Yu Zhenwu's military career ushered in a major turning point: he was selected to study at the 2nd Aviation School, transferred from the Army to the Air Force, and then transferred to the 1st and 4th Aviation Schools to study. After graduating in 1951, Yu Zhenwu served as a pilot in a certain Air Force unit, and later as the navigation director of a certain unit.
▲ Yu Zhenwu
In July 1958, Yu Zhenwu, then the director of technical inspection of the Air Force, carried out the test flight of the first self-developed JJ-1 in New China. In 1959, Yu Zhenwu served as the flight technology inspection director of the Military Training Department of the Air Force Command of the Shenyang Military Region.
For many years, Yu Zhenwu lived and fought in Shenkong. In 1983, Yu Zhenwu was promoted from commander of a certain corps of the Air Force to commander of the Guangzhou Air Force. In July 1985, the leadership team of the Air Force was adjusted, and Yu Zhenwu was appointed as Deputy Commander of the Air Force. In September 1988, Yu Zhenwu was awarded the rank of lieutenant general.
In October 1994, Yu Zhenwu took over from Cao Shuangming and became the commander of the Air Force. In January 1996, Cao Shuangming was promoted to the rank of general.In November of that year, Cao Shuangming retired at age, and Liu Shunyao (promoted to general in 2000) took over as commander of the Air Force.
Ding Wenchang Air Force Political Commissar
Ding Wenchang was born in October 1933 in Suzhou, Anhui. In July 1951, Ding Wenchang enlisted in the army and became a student of the 16th Infantry School. Later, in order to support the construction of the Air Force, the Central Military Commission transferred some trainees from the Army system to the Air Force Academies.
Against this background, Ding Wenchang studied in the 5th Preparatory Corps of the Air Force and the 10th Aviation School. In January 1954, after graduating, Ding Wenchang was assigned to a certain division of the Air Force as an ordnance officer. In the following decades, Ding Wenchang worked in the political system for a long time and experienced many positions.
▲Ding Wenchang
By November 1985, Ding Wenchang was promoted from the deputy political commissar of a certain army of the Air Force to the deputy director of the Political Department of the Air Force. In April 1988, Ding Wenchang was promoted to director of the Air Force's Political Department, rising to the deputy military region level. In August of that year, Ding Wenchang was awarded the rank of major general (promoted to lieutenant general in 1990).
In November 1992, Lieutenant General Zhu Guang retired at the age of 18, and Ding Wenchang took over as the political commissar of the Air Force and rose to the level of the Zhengda Military Region. In January 1996, Ding Wenchang was promoted to the rank of general. In January 1999, Ding Wenchang turned 68 and retired from active service because he had reached the maximum number of years of service at the Zhengda military region level.
Sui Yongju Second Artillery Political Commissar
Sui Yongju was born in November 1932 in Jin County, Liaoning Province. In June 1949, Sui Yongju established the Chinese Youth League in rural areas. He was later absorbed into the first batch of league members and participated in the land reform. In May 1950, Sui Yongju was recommended to work in the district supply and marketing cooperative.
In November of that year, Sui Yongju was drafted into the army and was assigned to the correspondent of the company in the Luda Garrison Area. For many years after that, Sui Yongju worked at the grassroots level for a long time. In April 1964, Sui Yongju served as the Chief of the Organization Section of the Political Department of the Second Artillery Engineering Construction Corps.
▲Sui Yongju
At the beginning of its formation, the Second Artillery Group was kept in a state of high confidentiality. Sui Yongju fought and lived on the northwest plateau for 19 years. One can imagine how difficult the conditions were and how much hardship he had to pay. In August 1985, Sui Yongju became director of the Political Department of the Second Artillery Corps.
In September 1988, Sui Yongju was awarded the rank of major general (promoted to lieutenant general in 1990). In November 1992, Sui Yongju succeeded Lieutenant General Liu Anyuan as the political commissar of the Second Artillery. In January 1996, Sui Yongju was promoted to the rank of general until he retired from active service in 1997.
Reference materials:
[1] "Thirty Years of Great Changes in the Army - The Tortuous Road of the Development of the PLA's Military Rank System" (Voice of the Strait Network);
[2] "Zhou Ziyu" (Celebrity Resume Network);
[3] "Yu Zhenwu: First Flight of China's First Self-Developed JJ-1" (China News Service);
[4] "Ding Wenchang" - Special Topic on Contemporary Figures in Suzhou" (Boya People Network);
[5] "General Commissioner Sui Yongju" (People's Daily Online).
