Zhang Zhaozhong

Who is Zhang Zhaozhong?

Zhang Zhaozhong is a Chinese military theorist at the PLA National Defense University. He holds the rank of Rear Adm. in the People's Liberation Army Navy.

A frequent commentator on state-run television outlets, Zhaozhong is known of his successful predictions about the Gulf War and wrong predictions during the CCTV live broadcast of the Iraq War. He is also known for some of his misleading comments to hide the real military strength of China. The best-known instance was his dramatical denial of the existence of the Chinese stealth fighter J-20 by exaggerating the American technological advantages.

In contrast, he also sometimes expresses a low opinion of U.S. military capabilities, with his 2012 assertion that the U.S. would "run like a rabbit" if China went to war with Japan over the Diaoyu Islands being an example. He also suggested that the PLAN might equip civilian fishing boats for suicide attacks against the United States Navy.