中共早在紅軍與抗日戰爭年代，即有軍銜的思維或建構，但礙於物質條件與戰爭環境的限制，軍銜制終究無法遂行。但其探索及經驗，卻為建政後軍銜制的推動起了極大的啟示與借鏡作用。 建政初期，鑒於軍隊正規化、現代化的需求，根據過往的經驗並在蘇聯的指導協助與軍政領導人的銳意經營下，配合薪金制與義務兵役制的實行，於1955年10月全面實施軍銜制，為人民解放軍的建軍歷程，展開新的局面。對改善人民解放軍的軍事制度和政治制度，加速現代化和正規化建設，有著不可低估的重要作用和深遠的歷史意義。 但由於對軍銜制內涵的認知不足，與軍銜制本身及實際運作的缺失，加上60年代初期中蘇關係絕裂等因素，激起對軍銜的疑慮與排斥，實行了十年之久的軍銜制度在1965年5月底正式被廢除，此舉無疑是人民解放軍現代化、正規化建設中的一個重大損失。 到了80年代初期，人民解放軍檢討1979年中越戰爭的經驗，以及因應改革開放後與國際軍事交流的需求，開始反思並再次提議實施軍銜制，在鄧小平的倡議與堅持下，終於在取消軍銜制的23年後的1988年恢復軍銜制，也讓人民解放軍的建設發展再次與世界接軌。 ;As early as the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had already attempted an early version of a military rank system. Unfortunately, due to economic and environmental constraints during the wartime period, the system was never fully carried out. However, it became the backbone of the military rank system later introduced in 1955. On October, 1955, with the goal of creating a modernized and standardized army, under the guidance of the Soviet government, the military leaders of the CCP officially established the military rank system along with the addition of a salary system as it shifted towards compulsory service. The system holds great historical significance as it improved the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) military and political structure and increased the pace of modernization. However, along with the Soviet government’s collapse and lack of structural understanding, the value of the military rank system was debated, which led to its end in May, 1965—right before its ten-year anniversary. A move devastating towards the progression of modernization and standardization for the PLA. After examining the experiences of the Sino-Vietnamese War and the need of international military exchanges since the implementation of the reform and open policy, in 1988—23 years after the original military rank system ended—the system was resurrected under Deng’s leadership, which brought the PLA in line with international practices again.
