Laws of the People's Republic of China

1. Article 7 is revised as follows: "Officers' ranks shall be classifed into the following ten grades under three categories:

(1) Generals: General, Lieutenant General, Major General;

(2) Field officers: Senior Colonel, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major; and

(3) Junior officers: Captain, Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant."

2. Paragraph 1 of Article 10 is revised to consist of two paragraphs. The first paragraph is to read: "The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China commands the armed forces of the country. The Central Military Commission practises a system wherein its Chairman assumes overall responsibility. No military rank shall be conferred on the Chairman of the Central Military Commission". The second paragraph is to read: "The ranks of the Vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission by virtue of their posts shall be General." Paragrap 2 of Article 10 is renumbered as Paragraph 3, and revised as follows: "The ranks of members of the Central Military Commission by virtue of their posts shall be General."

3. Article 11 is revised as follows: "The ranks for operational, political and logistics officers by virtue of their posts shall be as follows:

Chief of the General Staff and Director of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army: General;

Officers at the level of commander of a major military command: General or Lieutenant General;

Officers at the level of deputy commander of a major military command: Lieutenant General or Major General;

Officers at the level of corps commander: Major General or Lieutenant General;

Officers at the level of deputy corps commander: Major General or Senior Colonel;

Officers at the level of division commander: Senior Colonel or Major General;

Officers at the level of deputy division commander (or brigade commander): Colonel or Senior Colonel;

Officers at the level of regiment commander (or deputy brigade commander): Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel;

Officers at the level of deputy regiment commander: Lieutenant Colonel or Major;

Officers at the level of battalion commander: Major or Lieutenant Colonel;

Officers at the level of deputy battalion commander: Captain or Major;

Officers at the level of company commander: Captain or Lieutenant;

Officers at the level of deputy company commander: Lieutenant or Captain; and

Officers at the level of platoon leader: Second Lieutenant or Lieutenant."

4. Paragraph 2 of Article 12 is revised as follows: "Intermediate specialized technical officers: from Senior Colonel to Captain." Paragraph 3 is revised as follows: "Junior specialized technical officers: from Lieutenant Colonel to Second Lieutenant."

5. Paragraph 2 of Article 16 is deleted.

6. Item (1) of Article 17 is revised as follows: "In peacetime, an interval for an officer to be promoted shall be: two years for officers who are graduates of two-or three-year college or other institutions of higher learning to be promoted from Second Leutenant to Lieutenant, three years for others without such college education, and four years for officers to be promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, from Captain to Major, from Major to Lieutenant Colonel, from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel or from Colonel to Senior Colonel. Officers with the rank of Senior Colonel or above shall be promoted selectively on the basis of their posts, their political integrity and professional competence and their contributions to the building of national defence."

7. One article is added as Article 22: "If an officer whose appointment as Vice-chairman or a member of the Central Military Commission has been decided is to be promoted to a General, the rank of General shall be conferred by the Chairman of the Central Military Commission."

8. Article 22 is renumbered Article 23, and revised as follows: "Except for the cases as provided by Article 22 of the present Regulations, promotion of officers' ranks shall be approved by the authorities with the prescribed power for appointment and removal. However, the promotion of ranks of the following officers shall be appoved in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) An officer at the level of deputy division commander (or brigade commander) to be promoted to Senior Colonel, or a specialized technical officer to be promoted to Senior Colonel, Major General or Lieutenant General shall be approved by the Chairman of the Central Military Commission;

(2) A specialized technical officer to be promoted to Colonel shall be approved by the head of a general department of the People's Liberation Army, of a major military command, of one of the services or arms of the Army or of a unit equivalent to a major military command; and

(3) An officer at the level of deputy battalion commander to be promoted to Major, or a specialized technical officer to be promoted to Major or Lieutenant Colonel shall be approved by the head of a combined corps or of a unit at the corps level that has the power to appoint and remove officers."

This Decision shall come into force as of the date of promulgation.

The Regulations on the Military Ranks of Officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army shall be revised in accordance with the present Decision and repromulgated.