Wang Pi-ch’eng

1908

China

This must have happened following the New Fourth Army Incident of January 1941 when the top command of the New Fourth Army was reorganized and Su Yii was put in charge of the First Division, which operated in the Central Kiangsu Military District between Huai-an and the Yangtze. The area lies east of the Grand Canal. Later in the war Su expanded his territory to include the Kiangsu-Chekiang border region, and from 1944 to 1945 Su was the commander of the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military District. Wang served on Su’s staff for the remaining years of the war and for some five years after the war ended continued to be associated with his wartime chief. From 1941 Wang headed the Second Brigade of Su Yii’s First Division and successively commanded the Second and then the Third Military Sub-districts of the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military District. After these earlier war years nothing further was heard of Wang’s activity until 1947 when he was identified as the commander of the Sixth Division belonging to the New Fourth Army forces, which became the East China PLA in 1947 and the Third Field Army early in 1949 (see under Ch'en I). For about five years after hostilities ended in August 1945, Wang remained in the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military Area; he was the commander of the Sixth Column of the East China PLA in 1948, probably an extension of the military command he held in 1947. He was in charge of troops stationed about Hangchow early in 1949 when he was identified as the commander of the Seventh Army Group belonging to the Third Field Army, T'an Chen-lin, with whom Wang was to continue to be associated for several years, was the army group political commissar. Concurrent with Wang's post as Seventh Army Group commander was his position of commander in the 24th Army, which belonged to the Seventh Army Group. Also from 1949 and possibly until 1953, Wang was the deputy commander of the Chekiang Military District, an area that was also under the jurisdiction of the Third Field Army. By April 1949 Wang Chien-an took over the command of the Seventh Army Group from Wang Pi-ch’eng. Wang Chien-an had formerly commanded East China PLA forces in the Central Shantung Military District. In 1951, another former New Fourth Army officer, Chang Ai-p’ing, became the commander of the Chekiang Military District. Wang was active in the Nanking area in 1950 when he was put in charge of the Eighth Army Group of the Third Field Army, the force which had been operating around Nanking at least from the time that the Communists took over that city in April 1949. His name was mentioned in connection with the Eighth Group only in 1950, so he probably did not hold this command for long. After a career that seems to have been devoted exclusively to military affairs, Wang received his first civil position in February 1951 when he was appointed a member of the Chekiang Provincial People's Government, a post that placed him under his former military comrade-in-arms, Governor Tan Chen-lin. Then, for a long period, Wang’s activities went unreported in the Communist press. He reemerged in September-October 1954 when he led a 72-member delegation of the Communist forces in Korea (known as the "Chinese People's Volunteers") to China to attend the elaborate festivities staged to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the PRC. His long absence from the scene in China suggests that he may have commanded troops during the Korean War. By the latter part of 1955 Wang had permanently returned to China, once again being assigned to work in east China. By December 1955 he was identified as the Shanghai Garrison commander, a post he held until early 1961. Shortly before this identification, the PRC had given personal military ranks to its officer corps, and by early 1956 Wang was identified as a lieutenant-general (the equivalent of a two-star general in the U.S. Army). During his years in Shanghai, Wang was frequently mentioned in the press, particularly in connection with visiting military delegations. For example, he was among those welcoming units of a visiting Soviet naval fleet in June 1956. In January 1957 he was named to membership on the Shanghai Municipal People's Council; he was re-elected in November 1958 but relinquished the position in 1961 when he was transferred to Nanking (see below). During his tour of duty in Shanghai, he also held membership on the Council of the Shanghai chapter of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association (from December 1959). When Wang was first identified in Nanking at a May Day (1961) rally, he was simply described as “a commanding officer” of the Nanking Military Region (NMR), responsible for the provinces of Kiangsu (including Shanghai), Chekiang, and Anhwei. By early 1964 his position was clarified as that of a deputy commander of the NMR, in fact, however, he was probably holding this post from the time of his transfer to Nanking in 1961. In Nanking, Wang serves under Commander Hsu Shih-yu, an alternate member of the Party Central Committee. The NMR is one of the most important of the military commands because, in addition to controlling two key communication points (Shanghai and Nanking), Nanking is the locale of some of the important PLA military academies. Wang received his first assignment in the national government when he was elected as a deputy from the PLA to the Third NPC, the first session of which met in December 1964-January 1965.

Wang Pi-ch’eng

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politician CCP member

Background

Deputy-commander, Nanking Military Region.

Education

Nothing is known of his early history until the time of the Sino-Japanese War when he belonged to (he Communist New Fourth Army and served as a commander in the First Division commanded by Su Yii.

Career

This must have happened following the New Fourth Army Incident of January 1941 when the top command of the New Fourth Army was reorganized and Su Yii was put in charge of the First Division, which operated in the Central Kiangsu Military District between Huai-an and the Yangtze. The area lies east of the Grand Canal. Later in the war Su expanded his territory to include the Kiangsu-Chekiang border region, and from 1944 to 1945 Su was the commander of the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military District. Wang served on Su’s staff for the remaining years of the war and for some five years after the war ended continued to be associated with his wartime chief. From 1941 Wang headed the Second Brigade of Su Yii’s First Division and successively commanded the Second and then the Third Military Sub-districts of the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military District.

After these earlier war years nothing further was heard of Wang’s activity until 1947 when he was identified as the commander of the Sixth Division belonging to the New Fourth Army forces, which became the East China PLA in 1947 and the Third Field Army early in 1949 (see under Ch'en I). For about five years after hostilities ended in August 1945, Wang remained in the Kiangsu-Chekiang Military Area; he was the commander of the Sixth Column of the East China PLA in 1948, probably an extension of the military command he held in 1947. He was in charge of troops stationed about Hangchow early in 1949 when he was identified as the commander of the Seventh Army Group belonging to the Third Field Army, T'an Chen-lin, with whom Wang was to continue to be associated for several years, was the army group political commissar. Concurrent with Wang's post as Seventh Army Group commander was his position of commander in the 24th Army, which belonged to the Seventh Army Group. Also from 1949 and possibly until 1953, Wang was the deputy commander of the Chekiang Military District, an area that was also under the jurisdiction of the Third Field Army. By April 1949 Wang Chien-an took over the command of the Seventh Army Group from Wang Pi-ch’eng. Wang Chien-an had formerly commanded East China PLA forces in the Central Shantung Military District. In 1951, another former New Fourth Army officer, Chang Ai-p’ing, became the commander of the Chekiang Military District. Wang was active in the Nanking area in 1950 when he was put in charge of the Eighth Army Group of the Third Field Army, the force which had been operating around Nanking at least from the time that the Communists took over that city in April 1949. His name was mentioned in connection with the Eighth Group only in 1950, so he probably did not hold this command for long.

After a career that seems to have been devoted exclusively to military affairs, Wang received his first civil position in February 1951 when he was appointed a member of the Chekiang Provincial People's Government, a post that placed him under his former military comrade-in-arms, Governor Tan Chen-lin. Then, for a long period, Wang’s activities went unreported in the Communist press. He reemerged in September-October 1954 when he led a 72-member delegation of the Communist forces in Korea (known as the "Chinese People's Volunteers") to China to attend the elaborate festivities staged to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the PRC. His long absence from the scene in China suggests that he may have commanded troops during the Korean War.

By the latter part of 1955 Wang had permanently returned to China, once again being assigned to work in east China. By December 1955 he was identified as the Shanghai Garrison commander, a post he held until early 1961. Shortly before this identification, the PRC had given personal military ranks to its officer corps, and by early 1956 Wang was identified as a lieutenant-general (the equivalent of a two-star general in the U.S. Army). During his years in Shanghai, Wang was frequently mentioned in the press, particularly in connection with visiting military delegations. For example, he was among those welcoming units of a visiting Soviet naval fleet in June 1956. In January 1957 he was named to membership on the Shanghai Municipal People's Council; he was re-elected in November 1958 but relinquished the position in 1961 when he was transferred to Nanking (see below). During his tour of duty in Shanghai, he also held membership on the Council of the Shanghai chapter of the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association (from December 1959).

When Wang was first identified in Nanking at a May Day (1961) rally, he was simply described as “a commanding officer” of the Nanking Military Region (NMR), responsible for the provinces of Kiangsu (including Shanghai), Chekiang, and Anhwei. By early 1964 his position was clarified as that of a deputy commander of the NMR, in fact, however, he was probably holding this post from the time of his transfer to Nanking in 1961. In Nanking, Wang serves under Commander Hsu Shih-yu, an alternate member of the Party Central Committee. The NMR is one of the most important of the military commands because, in addition to controlling two key communication points (Shanghai and Nanking), Nanking is the locale of some of the important PLA military academies. Wang received his first assignment in the national government when he was elected as a deputy from the PLA to the Third NPC, the first session of which met in December 1964-January 1965.

Politics

As in the case of most officers of his rank, Wang frequently spoke before conferences held by the Party or other organizations. Thus, in May 1957, he spoke at a Party Congress of the Shanghai Garrison Command on the traditions of the PLA and the need for physical fitness, and in March 1960 he spoke before a conference of the people's militia in Shanghai. From time to time he also wrote for the Party press, an example of which appeared in the September 23, 1959, issue of the Shanghai Chieh-fang jih- pao (Liberation daily), where Wang stressed the dual role of the PLA in defending the “people” and in participating in construction projects. After more than five years ia Shanghai, Wang was transferred to Nanking in the spring of 1961.

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Wang Pi-ch’eng

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Career

1944 - 1945

1948

1964