Zhang Yan (born 1917)

For other people named Zhang Yan, see Zhang Yan.

In this Chinese name, the family name is  Zhang.

Zhang Yan

President of National University of Defense Technology
In office
September 1978 – December 1983
Preceded by| Liu Juying
Succeeded by| Zhang Liangqi
Personal details
Born|

Zhang Jiankai

1917
Lingbi County, Anhui, Republic of China
Died| 2003 (aged 85-86)
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Political party| Chinese Communist Party
Alma mater| Counter-Japanese Military and Political University
Military service
Allegiance|  People's Republic of China
Branch/service|  People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Years of service| 1937–1998
Rank|  Major general
Battles/wars| Second Sino-Japanese War
Chinese Civil War
Awards|  Order of Independence and Freedom (2nd Class)
Order of Liberation (1st Class)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese| 张衍
Traditional Chinese| 張衍
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Zhāng Yǎn
Zhang Jiankai
Simplified Chinese| 张剑凯
Traditional Chinese| 張劍凱
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Zhāng Jiànkǎi

Zhang Yan (Chinese: 张衍; 1917 – 3 August 2003) was a major general (shaojiang) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who served as president of the National University of Defense Technology from 1978 to 1983. He was a member of the 6th and 7th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

## Biography

[edit]

Zhang was born Zhang Jiankai (张剑凯) in Lingbi County, Anhui, in 1917, while his ancestral home was in Tengzhou, Shandong.[1] In 1928, he attended Liji Primary School (李集小学). Influenced by teacher and Communist Wang Jianmin (王健民), he joined the Student Counter Japanese Volunteer Army.[1] In 1937, he was admitted to Counter-Japanese Military and Political University.[1] He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in February 1938.[1] He fought under Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping at the Battle of North Henan in 1943 during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[1][2] In September 1948, he became deputy director of the Political Department of Zhongyuan Military and Political University, he remained at there until June 1949, when he took office as director of the Propaganda and Education Division of the Political Department of the Second Field Army Military and Political University.[1]

After the founding of the Communist State in 1949, Zhang participated in the preparatory work of Harbin Institute of Military Engineering and served as director of its Political Department.[1] He was promoted to the rank of major general (Shaojiang) in 1961.[1] In October 1965, he was made political commissar of Xi'an Military Telecommunication Engineering College.[1] During the Cultural Revolution, he was brought to be persecuted and suffered political persecution.[1] He was named party secretary of Northwest Institute of Telecommunication Engineering in October 1973 and then party secretary of the Tenth Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense in July 1976.[1] In July 1977, he became deputy director of the State Planning Commission.[1] In September 1978, he was appointed president of National University of Defense Technology, and served until December 1983, when he was transferred to the Central Military Commission.[1] He retired in July 1998.[1] On 3 August 2003, he died from an illness in Beijing, aged 86.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 枣庄籍开国将军——张衍. Sohu (in Chinese). 20 July 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
2. ^ Liu Jingquan (刘景泉); Shen Jiuquan (沈久泉); Wang Kaijie (王凯捷); Li Zhuo (李卓), eds. (1999). 中国抗日战争人物大词典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Figures in the Counter Japanese War] (in Chinese). Tianjin: Tianjin University Press. ISBN 9787561811023.

Military offices

Preceded by

Liu Juying

|  President of National University of Defense Technology
1978–1983  | Succeeded by

Zhang Liangqi