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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 February 2009
Any discussion of the PLA leadership over the past fifteen years is inevitably hampered by lack of information. No “Army List” is published in China, and while major appointments are usually announced, dismissals are almost always left to be inferred. The names of military office-holders have to be correlated from isolated attributions in the Chinese press, with the proviso that the protracted non-appearance of an individual's came does not necessarily indicate his absence from active duty or his demotion.
1 The biographical material for this analysis is drawn from the following sources: (1) Kasumigaseki Assoc. eds., Gendai Chugoku Jinmen Jiten (A Who's Who of Contemporary Chinese) (Tokyo: Foreign Affairs Review Press, 1962)Google Scholar, an invaluable reference work containing brief biographical notes on over 7,000 names. (2) Directory of Party and Government Officials of Communist China (Washington, D.C.: Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, 07 20, 1960), 2 volsGoogle Scholar. (3) Clark, Anne B., Selected Biographies of Chinese Communist Military Leaders (Cambridge: East Asian Research Centre, Harvard University, 1964)Google Scholar. (4) Biographical Service (Hong Kong: Union Research Service), separate biographies published seriatim. (5) Sung-fang, Shen; I-chiu-wu-ling Jen-min Nien-chien (Year-book for 1950) (Hong Kong: Ta-kung Shu-chu, 1950)Google Scholar. (6) Ta-k'ai, Chin and Ta-chun, Chang, Chung-kung Chün-shih Fou-shih (An Examination of the Chinese Communist Army) (Hong Kong: Tzu-yu Ch'u-pan She, 1954)Google Scholar, Chapter 9, detailed but not always reliable information on army personnel down to divisional command.(7) Communist China: Ruthless Enemy or Paper Tiger? (Washington, D.C.: Department of the U.S. Army, PAM 20–61, 1962)Google Scholar, Appendices.
2 Including the Inspector-General of the Inspectorate of the Armed Forces.
3 Including the deputy-inspectors and directors of military academies where known.
4 Chung-kung chung-yang chün-chih wei-yuan-hui, usually abbreviated to Chün-wei or “military committee”. The MAC has been analysed in detail by Powell, Ralph L. in “The Military Affairs Committee and Party Control of the Military in China,” Asian Survey, 07 1963Google Scholar, and Politico-Military Relationships in Communist China, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Dept. of State, 10 1963), pp. 5–7Google Scholar.
5 “Resolution of the All-China Congress of Soviets Concerning the Red Army” in Kun, Bela (ed.), Fundamental Laws of the Chinese Soviet Republic (New York: International Publishers, 1934), p. 36Google Scholar.
6 U.S. War Department, Military Intelligence Division, “The Chinese Communist Movement,” I.P.R. Hearings, Part 7a, p. 2435.
7 See, for instance, “Proclamation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, April 25, 1949” in Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1961), IV, pp. 397–400Google Scholar.
8 Non-Party members of the PRMC were not left entirely idle; at its first meeting a sub-committee was set up, with Chang Chih-chung as Chairman, to “study and plan national defence.” Members included Tso-yi, Fu, Ting-k'ai, Ts'ai and Fei, Liu (ex-KMT Deputy Chief, General Staff, 1946–1949), New China News Agency (NCNA), 10 21, 1949Google Scholar. The results of its deliberations were not reported.
9 Ya-lou, Liu, “Seriously Study Mao Tse-tung's Military Thinking,” Chieh-fang Chün pao (Liberation Army Daily), 05 23, 1958Google Scholar(the translation in Survey of the China Mainland Press (SCMP) (Hong Kong: U.S. Consulate-General), No. 1900Google Scholar, omits the words “Central Committee”). Liu also states that “during the period [of modernisation] our Army carried out with great results the guiding principles laid down by the Central Committee, Military Affairs Committee, and Chairman Mao concerning Army building,” thus implying that the MAC functioned continuously from 1949 onwards.
10 See further Joffe, Ellis, “The Communist Party and the Army,” Contemporary China, IV, pp. 55–67Google Scholar.
11 Pa-yi Tsa-chih (August First Magazine) editorial: “Overcome subjectivism, dogmatism, commandism, thoroughly carry out the mass line,” in Pao, Chieh-fang Chün10 4, 1956Google Scholar. Another reference to the MAC reports that in spring 1957 it took the decision to amalgamate the PLA Cultural Department and Propaganda Department. “True Identity of Ch'en Yi Revealed,” Jen-min Jih-pao (People's Daily), March 1, 1958 in SCMP 1729. Another Enlarged Conference of the MAC was held at the beginning of 1957 to discuss military training. Speech by Chang, , Tsung-hsun, to the Enlarged Conference, Chieh-fang Chün Pao, 02 9, 1957Google Scholar.
12 NCNA, Peking, 07 25, 1958Google ScholarPubMed.
13 The establishment of the “new” MAC is referred to by General Lo Jui-ch'ing in Kung-tso Tung-hsün, No. 21. Marshals Ho Lung, Lin Piao, Lo Jung-huan, Nieh Jung-chen, Yeh Chien-ying and Liu Po-ch'eng addressed the Enlarged Conference of the MAC in 1958. Chu Teh, Ch'en Yi, Teng Hsiao-p'ing and Mao Tse-tung also spoke, and P'eng Teh-huai summed up.
It seems likely that the six marshals were already members of the MAC, although Lin Piao may not have sat on it until he replaced P'eng Teh-huai as Minister of Defence.
Hsu Hsiang-chien, who appears on the “new” MAC in 1961, did not speak at the 1958 conference. In earlier years, when he was nominally PLA Chief of Staff (1949–54), it had been rumoured that he refused to take up his position and remained in retirement. It is conceivable that for reasons unknown he did not resume active office until the formation of the “new” MAC.
The members of the MAC Standing Committee are identified in Kung-tso Tunghsun.
14 Powell, Ralph L., Politico-Military Relationships in Communist China, pp. 5–6Google Scholar.
15 Huang and Su were appointed deputy chiefs of staff in November 1952; Hsiao Hua had been a deputy political director since September 1949. T'an Cheng had been deputy political director of the Eighth Route Army 1937–45, and from 1949 served in central-south China with the Fourth Field Army as political commissar. He returned as first-ranking deputy to the Political Department in Peking in 1955. Hsiao K'o was training director in 1953–54.
15 Su Yu was removed in the first month of the Great Leap; Hung, Huang and Hsiao K'o were dismissed a year later at the same time as Marshal P'eng. T'an Cheng was not officially dismissed, but from 1960 onwards all major political statements were made by his deputy, Hsiao Hua, and the Kung-Tso Tung-hsün reveals that Lo Jung-huan had assumed his office at least by 1961. Tan and Huang were dismissed from the Party Secretariat in September 1962. T'an was formally removed from the post of vice-minister of defence in March 1965. These officers did not constitute a homogeneous group. Only Hung and Huang were officially regarded as members of P'eng Teh-huai's “anti-Party group.” Tan Cheng is probably the mysterious “XX” referred to in the Kung-tso T'ung-hsun as having had an “erroneous influence.” Su Yu continues to be listed to this day as a vice-minister of defence.
17 Lo died in December 1963; Hsiao was officially appointed director in September 1964.
18 Ch'iu's name is first recorded in April 1949 as director of the Political Department of Honan Military District. By 1952 he was assistant director of the South China Military Region Political Department, and by the end of 1953 deputy political commissar of Kwangtung Military District. In September 1955 he received the Liberation Medal (First Class) for meritorious service in the war of liberation (Union Research Service (URS) Hong Kong: Biographical Service No. 400, October 27, 1959).
19 The early career of Hung Hsueh-ch'ih cannot be traced, but he was awarded in 1955 the August First Honour, First Class, for military services rendered in the 1927–37 period. All five were full members of the Central Committee except for Hung who was an alternate member. Su Yu, Huang K'o-ch'eng and Tan Cheng had been Central Committee members since the Seventh Congress of April 1945.
20 Li Ta, P'eng's Chief of Staff in Korea, was dismissed from his post as vice-minister of defence in October 1959, and appointed vice-chairman of the Physical Culture Commission. Teng Hua, P'eng's deputy-commander in Korea, was replaced by Ch'en Hsi-lien as commander of Shenyang Military Region some time in the second half of 1959.
21 In compiling these and other statistics, the military awards made in September 1955 for meritorious service in the revolutionary wars have been taken as evidence of membership of the Red Army at a given time. There were three awards for the three periods of revolution: August 1st Order (1927–37), Independence and Freedom Order (1937–45), and Liberation Order (1945–50).
22 The other provincial origins are: Anhwei (1), Fukien (2), Kiangsi (4), Kwangtung (1), Honan (3), Hopeh (1), Inner Mongolia (1), Szechwan (2) and Shensi (2).
23 Klein, Donald W. in “The ‘Next Generation’ of Chinese Communist Leaders,” The China Quarterly, No. 12 (10–12 1962)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, shows that the relative proportion of Army personnel in the Central Committee élite has declined from 64 persons or about 37 per cent, in 1949–50 to 42 persons or about 25 per cent, in 1962. These figures include some officers not considered in the analysis under discussion.
24 The following senior staff on the navy command were identified in 1960 and subsequently.
25 Liu Yung-sheng (Fukien), commander of the Fukien-Kwangtung-Kwangsi column in 1948–49, Lu Shao-wu (Kwangsi), a regimental commander on the Long March, and Yang Chia-jui (Shensi), an Army commander in the Civil War, Wang Tao-pang (Hopeh).
26 NCNA, November 13. 1959.
27 “Chang K'ai-ching (Heilungkiang) Order of Liberation First Class.
28 Tseng Hsi-sheng (Anhwei), Wu Chih-p'u (Honan), Chang P'ing-hua (Hunan), Yang Shang-k'uei (Kiangsi), Chiang Wei-ch'ing (Kiangsu), Wu Te (Kirin), Chou Lin (Kweichow), Huang Huo-ch'ing (Liaoning), T'ao Lu-chia (Shansi), Liu Jen (Peking garrison, second Party secretary), Ch'en P'i-hsien (Shanghai, Party secretary).
Chang Teh-sheng (Shensi) was identified as Political Commissar of Shensi Military District on his death on March 1965.
Wang Jen-chung, First Party Secretary of Hupeh province, was identified as political commissar of Wuhan garrison in April 1965.
29 The same phenomenon has however begun to be noticeable recently in the military regions on a larger scale than suggested above. As well as those cases already mentioned, Li Ching-chu'an, First Party Secretary of Szechuan and of the Southwest Party Bureau, was identified in August 1965 as political commissar of Chengtu military region. Sung Jen-ch'iung, First Party Secretary of the Northeast Party Bureau, was identified in December 1965 as political commissar of Shenyang military region.
