Zhang Wannian

Zhang Wannian (; 1 August 1928 – 14 January 2015) was a general of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the People's Republic of China.

Biography

Zhang Wannian was born in Huang County (now Longkou), Shandong Province of China, on 1 August 1928.

He joined the Eighth Route Army in August 1944 and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in August 1945.

From 1985 to 1987, he was the vice commander of Guangzhou Military Region, and became the commander and vice secretary of CCP's committee there in 1987 till 1990. From 1990 to 1992, he was the commander of Jinan Military Region, and vice secretary of CCP committee there.

In 1992, he became a member of CCP's Central Military Commission (CMC) and the director as well as the secretary of the party of the General Staff Department of PLA. In September 1995, he was elevated to vice-Chairman of the CMC, along with Chi Haotian. As expected, both were elected as the executive vice Chairmen of the CMC at the 15th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. He was soon promoted to the Politburo as well as the CCP Secretariat. He attended the handover ceremony in Hong Kong in 1997 as the sole senior military representative (Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission), indicating his preeminent position in the military.

He was promoted to lieutenant general in September 1988, and to general in June 1993. According to Zhang, "First, they showed the strong resolve of the PLA in protecting national unity; second, they served as a warning to the outside intervening powers; third, they also provided encouragement for the people on Taiwan who supported peaceful reunification of the island."