Zhang Tingfa

Zhang Tingfa, 1955.

Zhang Tingfa ( Chinese  张廷 发 , Pinyin Zhāng Tíngfā ; born April 9, 1918 in Xiamao , China ; † March 25, 2010 in Beijing , People's Republic of China ) was a Chinese general and politician .

biography

As early as September 1933, he took part in revolutionary actions by the People's Liberation Army and in 1936 became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) .

Zhang joined the Air Force of the People's Republic of China (PLAAF) after the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949 and served as the deputy commander of an army corps during the Korean War between 1950 and 1953 . In 1955 he was promoted to major general. In March 1962 he was deputy commander and at the same time chief of staff of the PLAAF until November 1975.

In November 1975 he became political commissioner of the PLAAF with the support of Deng Xiaoping and at the same time retained his position as deputy commander. In 1976, as a member of the CCP Central Committee , he was part of the coalition led by Hua Guofeng and Ye Jianying in the overthrow of the gang of four led by Jiang Qing ( Mao Zedong's widow ), Zhang Chunqiao , Yao Wenyuan and Wang Hongwen .

In April 1977 he was finally appointed commander of the air force to succeed Ma Ning . He held this position until 1985. During the Sino-Vietnamese War from February to March 1979, he was Chief of Staff of the Southern Front. He was succeeded as Commander of the Air Force in July 1985 by the previous Deputy Commander, General Wang Hai .

In 1977 he was on the XI. At the same time he was a member of the CCP Politburo and held this position until July 1985. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Central Committee of the CCP and the Central Military Commission .

Zhang was recognized by leaders such as Hu Jintao , Wu Bangguo , Wen Jiabao , Xi Jinping , Li Keqiang , He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang as an outstanding member of the CCP, proletarian revolutionary and important military figure, and was buried on March 31, 2010 in the Bābǎoshān Heroes' Cemetery .

Web links

• AIR FORCE LEADERS 1949-1990
• NEWS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA: "Chinese President bids farewell to former senior military officer" (April 1, 2010)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Frederick C. Teiwes, Warren Sun: "The end of the Maoist era: Chinese politics during the twilight of the Cultural Revolution, 1972-1976", 2007, p. 263
2. ↑ Thomas Scharping: “China's Military in the Cultural Revolution: Ye Jianying and the Fall of the 'Gang of Four'”, 2001, p. 12
3. ↑ King C. Chen: "China's war with Vietnam, 1979: issues, decisions, and implications," 1987, p. 102
4. ^ Senior leaders of the Communist Party of China
5. ↑ CHINA BRIEF: "REFORMS IN THE PLA AIR FORCE" (July 4, 2005)

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Zhang is the family name here, Tingfa is the first name.