Official ranks were reinstated in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on 1 October 1988, after having been abolished in 1965 (DND Nov. 1988). Ranks had been considered unimportant under Mao Zedong's philosophy of "People's War," but in the 1980s a change in official thinking put new emphasis on reforming the PLA by reducing the numbers of troops and stressing training and professionalism (Reuters 26 June 1988). Between 1985 and 1988 the PLA was reduced by about one million men and women as part of this effort (Time 11 July 1988).
The former Canadian Assistant Military Attaché in Beijing, however (27 May 1991), stressed that although the PLA now has official ranks, they are not strictly comparable to ranks in the Canadian Army, especially among the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) corps, which in China is made up of large numbers of conscripts. The former Assistant Attaché noted that contrary to the strong role played by the Canadian NCO corps, NCOs in the PLA are given very little technical training, responsibility or respect and have no way to rise to the officer class, which is made up largely of university or college graduates.
The attached chart then, put together from National Defense documents regarding the Canadian army and the PLA (also attached), and from the interview with the former Assistant Attaché, shows only approximate equivalents between the ranks of the two armies. Full ranks for the PLA ground forces, navy and air force are included in the attachment "Chinese Ranks and Uniforms," which has been reduced from a 24" X 24" National Defence Poster assembled in October, 1988.
Further information on the subject is currently unavailable to the IRBDC.
Attachments

Approximate Rank Equivalents Between the Chinese PLA and the Canadian Army. 28 May 1991.

Department of National Defence. November 1988. "Aide Memoire: Chinese People's [sic] Liberation Army Rank Structure."
Department of National Defence. "Canadian Forces Rank and Appointment Insignia."
Department of National Defence. October 1988. "Chinese Ranks and Uniforms."
Bibliography
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 3 August 1988. Su Ruozhou. "Military Ranks for PLA Soldiers." (NEXIS)
Department of National Defence. November 1988. "Aide Memoire: Chinese People's [sic] Liberation Army Rank Structure."
Department of National Defence. "Canadian Forces Rank and Appointment Insignia."
Department of National Defence. October 1988. "Chinese Ranks and Uniforms."
Former Canadian Assistant Attaché to Beijing, Ottawa. 27 May 1991. Telephone interview.
Reuters. 26 June 1988. "Chinese Legislature Expected to Approve New Military Ranks." (NEXIS)
Time [New York]. 11 July 1988. Serrill, Michael S. "Beijing's Shrinking Army Ranks Up and Puts on a New Image." 11 July 1988, p. 32. (NEXIS)
APPROXIMATE RANK EQUIVALENTS BETWEEN THE CHINESE PLA AND THE
CANADIAN ARMY 28 May 1991
Canadian Ranks
Officers
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Officer Cadet
Non-Commissioned Officers
Chief Warrant Officer
Major Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
Sergeant
Master Corporal
Corporal
Private
PLA Ranks
Officers
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Senior Colonel
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Senior Captain
Captain
First Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Officer Cadet
Non-Commissioned Officers
Warrant Officer
Technical Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Private First Class
Private