Zhang Aiping

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.

Zhang Aiping (Chinese: 张爱萍; Wade–Giles: Chang Ai-p'ing; January 9, 1910 – July 5, 2003) was a Chinese military leader.

Zhang Aiping
张爱萍
State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China
In office 19 November 1982 – 12 April 1988
Premier	Zhao Ziyang Li Peng
6th Minister of National Defense
In office 19 November 1982 – 12 April 1988
Premier	Zhao Ziyang Li Peng
Preceded by	Geng Biao
Succeeded by	Qin Jiwei
Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
In office September 1980 – September 1982
Premier	Zhao Ziyang
Personal details
Born	Zhang Duanxu (张端绪) (1910-01-09)January 9, 1910 Da County, Sichuan, Qing Dynasty (now Dachuan District, Sichuan, China)
Died	July 5, 2003(2003-07-05) (aged 93) Beijing, China
Alma mater	Counter-Japanese Military and Political University
Awards	Order of Bayi (First Class Medal) Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal) Order of Liberation (First Class Medal) Red Star Meritorious Medal of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (First Class Medal)
Military service
Allegiance	People's Republic of China
Branch/service	People's Liberation Army
Years of service	1929–1987
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Chinese Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War

Biography

From left: Han Zhenji, Liang Xingchu, Huang Kecheng, Zhang Aiping and Wei Guoqing, marking the meeting of the Fifth Column of the Eighth Route Army and the Northern Jiangsu Command of the New Fourth Army in Dongtai, Jiangsu on October 10, 1940.

Zhang Aiping reporting to Zhou Enlai on October 16, 1964, following the first nuclear weapon test

Zhang joined the Communist Party of China in 1928 after taking part in a communist-led rural uprising. He participated in the Long March and served as a field commander in the Chinese Red Army, first fighting against Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang forces, and later the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War. During World War II Zhang commanded a guerrilla band sent to rescue U.S. flight crews who crash landed in China following the April 1942 Tokyo bombing raid led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle.

After 1949, Zhang was an important builder of the Chinese military forces. He commanded the first People's Liberation Army naval force and served as an army corps commander in the Korean War. Upon his return home he served in a series of significant military and political posts. He was made a General in 1955.

Zhang was accused of counterrevolutionary crimes and dismissed from all positions during the Cultural Revolution, when many veteran communists were attacked by Red Guards inspired by Mao Zedong's vision of continuous revolution, and one of his legs was broken as a result. Later, Zhang would comment: "The only thing the Cultural Revolution succeeded in was giving me a cane." He reappeared in 1973 and served as defense minister from 1982 until 1988. He served as deputy chief of the PLA general staff, vice premier, and chaired a key commission that sought to modernize the PLA.

During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Zhang Aiping signed a letter opposing the enforcement of martial law by the Army in Beijing.

Due to the exigent circumstances, we as old soldiers, make the following request: Since the People's Army belongs to the people, it cannot stand against the people, much less kill the people, and must not be permitted to fire on the people and cause bloodshed; to prevent the situation from escalating, the Army must not enter the city.

— Ye Fei, Zhang Aiping, Xiao Ke, Yang Dezhi, Chen Zaidao, Song Shilun and Li Jukui, May 21, 1989, letter to the Central Military Commission and Capital Martial Law Command Headquarters

Zhang Aiping died in Beijing at the age of 93.

See also

• List of officers of the People's Liberation Army