Zhang Zhen (; 5 October 1914 – 3 September 2015) was a general of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

of China and a member of the Central Military Commission of the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

Biography

Zhang was born in Pingjiang County,

Hunan Province Hunan is an inland province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, and Guizhou and Chon ...

, with Hakka ancestry from Pingyuan County,

Guangdong Province ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

. His original name was Zhang Jiansheng (), also named as Zhang Zushou (), Zhang Zhongtian (). He joined the Communist Youth League in April 1930, and the Chinese Communist Party that summer. From 1957–66, Zhang was vice president, and later president of PLA Nanjing Military Academy. Purged during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, he was rehabilitated in 1975 and appointed vice director, and later director of the PLA General Logistics Department, and a member of the CCP Central Military Commission. From 1980–85, he was the vice chief of staff in PLA General Staff Department. From 1985–90, he served as the president of

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

. In 1990, Zhang became president, political commissar and CCP chief of the PLA National Defense University. He was an alternate member of the 11th CCP central committee, and a full member of the 12th CCP central committee. He celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2014 and died on September 3, 2015, just over a month before his 101st birthday.

Children

*Zhang Xiaoyang, major general, former Dean of PLA University of Foreign Language *Zhang Lianyang, major general, former Director of Military Representative Office of

People's Liberation Army General Staff Department The Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (JSDCMC) ( zh , s = 中央军委联合参谋部 ) is the command organ and the headquarters for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), superseding the former PLA General Staff Departm ...

* Zhang Haiyang, general, former political commissar of the PLA Second Artillery Corps *Zhang Ningyang, major general, former vice minister of Military Transportation Department of the PLA General Logistics Department

References

External links

Biography of Zhang Zhen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Zhen People's Liberation Army generals from Hunan 1914 births 2015 deaths Chinese men centenarians Chinese Communist Party politicians from Hunan People's Republic of China politicians from Hunan Hakka people Hakka generals 20th-century Chinese generals Politicians from Yueyang People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department