Is General Xiao Jinguang the longest-ranking senior general in our army who has held the same post? Which other generals have held the same position longer? This is a question posed by readers in previous years.
Xiao Jinguang was the first naval commander of New China, he served as the commander of the navy for 30 years from January 1950 to January 1980, and was called "commander of the navy for life" by Chairman Mao, and was the senior general who served as the same chief officer in our army for the longest time after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Admiral Xiao Jinguang
But Xiao Jinguang was not yet the longest-serving senior general in the same position. The winner of this "laurel" was General Fu Zhong, who served as deputy director of the General Political Department for 35 and a half years from October 1949 to March 1985, and who held the post for 47 years if you added that he was deputy director of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission from January 1938 until September 1949.
Admiral Fu Zhong
Other senior generals who have held the same senior position for a long time include:
Lieutenant General Xian Henghan served as political commissar of Lanzhou Military Region for 22 years (May 1955 - June 1977)
Lieutenant General Zeng Zesheng served as commander of the 50th Army for 20 years (October 1948 to September 1968);
Lieutenant General Du Ping served as political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region for 19 and a half years (March 1963 to October 1982);
General Xu Guangda served as commander of the armored corps for 19 years (June 1950 to June 1969);
General Xu Shiyou served as commander of the Nanjing Military Region for 18 and a half years (March 1955 to December 1973);
General Yang Dezhi served as commander of the Jinan Military Region for 18 and a half years (March 1955 to December 1973, during which time he was replaced by Wang Xinting from March 1955 to September 1957);
General Han Xianchu served as commander of the Fuzhou Military Region for 16 years (September 1957 to December 1973);
General Chen Mingren served as commander of the 55th Army for 16 years (October 1952 to September 1968);
General Dong Qiwu served as commander of the 69th Army for 15 and a half years (March 1953 to November 1968);
General Tao Zhiyue served as commander of the Production and Construction Corps of the Xinjiang Military Region for 14 years (October 1954 to September 1968), and when he was the commander of the 22nd Corps, the predecessor of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (December 1949 to October 1954), he served as the commander of the corps for 19 years.
Three rebel generals (from left) who were awarded the title of general of the People's Liberation Army: Chen Mingren, Dong Qiwu, and Tao Zhiyue.
In addition, some senior generals of our army have held the same deputy posts for a long time, such as General Peng Shaohui, who served as deputy chief of general staff for 23 and a half years from October 1954 to April 1978 (suspended for two years from August 1967 to August 1969 during the Cultural Revolution); and Lieutenant General Zhang Lingbin, who served as deputy director of the General Logistics Department from January 1950 to December 1982, for 33 years. This record is second only to That of Admiral Fu Zhong. However, it must be noted that Zhang Lingbin has been "recuperating on temporary duty" for physical reasons since October 1976, and the actual working time is 26 and a half years. Su Jin, deputy commander of artillery, served for 32 and a half years from March 1950 to August 1982 (suspended during the Cultural Revolution from October 1967 to May 1975). I won't list them all here.
Chairman Mao shook hands with Xiao Jinguang, the "commander of the Navy for life."