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The armed forces of the People’s
Republic of China (PRC) are composed of the People’s Liberation
Army, the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force and the militia. The
Central Military Commission (CMC) of the PRC directs and assumes unified
command of the nation’s armed forces.
The People’s Liberation Army
The PLA is a people’s army created and led by the Communist Party
of China (CPC), and the principal body of China’s armed forces.
The PLA is made up of both active and reserve components. Its total force
is maintained below the 2,500,000-strong mark. The active components of
the PLA are the country’s standing army, consisting of the Army,
Navy, Air Force and the Second Artillery Force, whose main task is to
conduct operations of defense, and, if necessary, help to maintain social
order in accordance with the law. Through the General Staff Headquarters,
the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department and
the General Armaments Department, the CMC exercises operational command
over the whole PLA and leadership for the development of the PLA.
The PLA was established on August 1, 1927, and consisted of land forces
only in its early days. The Army is responsible primarily for military
operations on land. At present, the Army has no independent leading organ,
and the functions of the leading organ are exercised by the four general
headquarters/departments. The seven military area commands, namely, those
of Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu,
exercise direct leadership over the Army units under their command. The
Army has such arms as infantry, armor, artillery, air defense, Army aviation,
engineering, chemical defense and communications, as well as other specialized
units such as those of electronic counter-measure (ECM), reconnaissance
and mapping. The infantry, maneuvering and operating on foot or on armored
personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, is composed of mountain
infantry, motorized infantry and mechanized infantry (armored infantry).
The armored corps (tank corps), equipped basically with tanks and other
armored vehicles and support vehicles, carries out ground assaults. The
artillery corps, equipped basically with artillery for suppression and
anti-tank purposes, and missiles for antitank and other operational-tactical
purposes, carries out ground fire strikes. The air defense corps, equipped
basically with anti-aircraft artillery and ground-to-air missile systems,
carries out ground-to-air operations. The Army aviation corps, equipped
with attack, transport, and other specialized helicopters and light fixed-wing
aircraft, carries out air maneuvers and provides support for ground operations.
The engineering corps, responsible for engineering support, is composed
of engineering and other specialized units of pontoons, construction,
camouflage, field water supply, and engineering maintenance. The chemical
defense corps, responsible for chemical defense operations, is composed
of chemical defense, flame-throwing and smoke-generating units. The communications
corps, responsible for military communications, is composed of specialized
units engaged in communications, communications engineering, communications
technical support, aviation navigation and military postal service. The
Army, in accordance with its different duties and responsibilities, is
also divided into field mobile, sea border defense, frontier defense,
and garrison troops. The organizational order of the field mobile troops
is normally combined corps, division (brigade), regiment, battalion, company,
platoon and squad. The organizational systems of the sea border defense,
frontier defense and garrison troops are decided in accordance with their
operational tasks and geographical conditions.
The Navy of the PLA was established on April 23, 1949. Its primary missions
are, independently or jointly with the Army and Air Force, to guard against
enemy invasion from the sea, defend the state’s sovereignty over
its territorial waters, and safeguard the state’s maritime rights
and interests. The Navy has such arms as the submarine, surface, naval
aviation, coastal defense and marine corps, as well as other specialized
units. Under the Navy, there are three fleets, namely, the Beihai, Donghai
and Nanhai fleets, as well as the Naval Aviation Department. Each fleet
has bases, maritime garrison commands, flotillas and squadrons under its
command. The submarine force is composed both of conventional and nuclear-powered
units, with underwater attack and some nuclear counterattack capabilities
respectively. The nuclear-powered submarine force, which assumes the strategic
nuclear counterattack mission, is under the direct command of the CMC.
The surface force has combat and support units, which have anti-ship,
anti-submarine, air defense, mine warfare and shore attack capabilities.
The naval aviation is composed of bomber, fighter-bomber, attacker, fighter,
anti-submarine and reconnaissance units, and security, ECM, transport,
rescue and air refueling units, which have reconnaissance, security, anti-ship,
anti-submarine and air defense capabilities. The organizational order
is: Naval Aviation Department, fleet aviation, and aviation division and
regiment. The naval coastal defense force is composed of shore-to-ship
missile and coastal artillery units, which have capabilities to defend
China’s coasts. The marine corps has infantry, artillery, armor
and engineering units, as well as reconnaissance, chemical defense and
communications units. It is a rapid assault force for amphibious operations.
The Air Force of the PLA was established on November 11, 1949. Its primary
missions are organizing homeland air defense to protect the territorial
air, and providing air security for key facilities; organizing relatively
independent air offensive operations; independently or jointly with the
Army, the Navy or the Second Artillery Force, engaging in joint operations
against enemy invasion from the air, or in conducting air strikes against
the enemy. Adopting a system of combining aviation with ground-to-air
defense forces, the Air Force consists of the aviation, surface-to-air
missile, anti-aircraft artillery and airborne units, as well as communications,
radar, ECM, chemical defense, technical reconnaissance and other specialized
units. The Air Force has an air command in each of the seven military
areas of Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
In the major direction and target zones, there are air corps or corps-level
air bases. The aviation is composed of fighter, attacker, bomber, reconnaissance,
transport and support units, usually in the organizational order of division,
regiment, group and squadron. An aviation division generally has under
its command two to three aviation regiments and related stations. The
aviation regiment is the basic tactical unit. Due to differences in weaponry
and tasks, the number of aircraft in an aviation regiment ranges from
20 to 40. The ratio of aircraft to pilots (aircrew) is usually 1:1.2.
The ground-to-air missile force and anti-aircraft artillery force are
usually organized into divisions (brigades), regiments, battalions and
companies, and the airborne force into corps, divisions, regiments, battalions
and companies.
The Second Artillery Force of the PLA was established on July 1, 1966.
It is composed of the ground-to-ground strategic nuclear missile force,
the conventional operational-tactical missile force, and the support units.
The strategic nuclear missile force, under the direct command of the CMC,
constitutes the main part of China’s limited nuclear counterattack
capability. It is equipped with land-based strategic nuclear missile systems.
Its primary missions are to deter the enemy from using nuclear weapons
against China, and, in the case of a nuclear attack by the enemy, to launch
an effective counterattack in self-defense independently or jointly with
the strategic nuclear forces of other services, at the order of the supreme
command. The conventional operational-tactical missile force is equipped
with conventional operational and tactical missile systems. Its task is
to carry out fire assaults with conventional missiles.
The PLA’s reserve force, established in 1983, is a force with its
own preset organizational structure, with reserve personnel as the base
and active personnel as the backbone. The reserve force operates a unified
organizational system. The divisions, brigades and regiments of the reserve
force are conferred designations and military banners. The reserve force
implements orders and regulations of the PLA, and is incorporated into
the PLA’s order of battle. In peacetime, it is led by the provincial
military districts or garrison commands, and in wartime, after mobilization,
it is commanded by the designated active unit or carries out combat missions
independently. It receives military training in peacetime in accordance
with the relevant regulations, and, if necessary, helps to maintain social
order in accordance with the law. In wartime, it may be called into active
service in pursuance of a state mobilization order.
The PLA forces stationed in Hong Kong and Macao are under the direct
leadership of the CMC. The PLA Hong Kong Garrison is mainly composed of
ground, naval and air units. The PLA Macao Garrison is mainly composed
of a ground force, with some naval and air force personnel on its staff.
The Chinese People’s Armed Police Force
The Chinese People’s Armed Police Force was established on June
19, 1982. It consists of internal security forces, gold mine, forest,
water conservancy, electricity power, and transportation forces. The frontier
police force, fire brigades and security guards are also included into
the Armed Police Force. The internal security forces are composed of contingents
and mobile divisions. The Armed Police Force is constructed in accordance
with the PLA’s guiding concept, purpose and principles of army building,
as well as its orders, rules and regulations, combined with characteristics
of the Armed Police Force. It implements the Military Service Law of the
PRC, and enjoys the same benefits as those of the PLA. The basic missions
of the Armed Police Force are to maintain state security and social stability,
protect facilities and objects significant to the state, safeguard people’s
lives and properties, and assist the PLA in wartime in defensive operations.
The Armed Police Force is subordinate to the State Council, and is under
the dual leadership of the State Council and the CMC. The Armed Police
Force receives unified leadership and management, and its command is delegated
to a relevant organ at each level. The Armed Police Force has three echelons
of leadership, namely, general headquarters, contingent (division) and
detachment (regiment). The General Headquarters of the Armed Police Force,
as the chief commanding organ of the Armed Police Force, commands and
administers internal security forces, and gold mine, forest, water conservancy,
electricity power, and transportation forces. In the nationwide administrative
hierarchy, the Armed Police contingents, detachments, and squadrons are
instituted at province, prefecture, and county levels respectively. When
performing a public security task or relevant work, the Armed Police Force
unit is subordinate to the leadership and command of the public security
organs at the same level.
In peacetime, the tasks of the Armed Police Force include performing
guard duties at fixed points, dealing with contingencies, combating terrorism
and supporting national economic development. Guard duties at fixed points
chiefly means, among others, security guard, watch and ward, prison and
detention guard, escort and patrol. It is specifically responsible for
protecting the security of state-designated objects to be guarded, important
visiting foreign dignitaries, leading organs of the Party and government
at and above the provincial level, embassies and consulates of foreign
countries in China, important national and international conferences,
and sites of large-scale cultural and sports activities; posting peripheral
armed guards at prisons and detention houses; providing armed protection
for key departments in charge of confidential work and critical parts
of important airports, radio stations, state economic departments, and
national defense works, as well as important bridges and tunnels along
trunk railway lines, and specially designated large road bridges; and
performing armed patrol and other security duties in state-designated
large and medium-sized cities or specific zones. Dealing with contingencies
chiefly means handling, according to law, sudden illegal incidents endangering
state security or social order, such as revolts, riots and disturbances,
fights with weapons and other group activities that endanger public security.
Combating terrorism chiefly means performing anti-attack, anti-hijacking
and anti-explosion tasks. Supporting national economic development chiefly
means gold mine prospecting, preventing and fighting forest fire, participation
in key state energy and transportation projects, and emergency rescue
and disaster relief in cases of serious calamities.
The Militia
The militia is an armed mass organization not released from production.
It is a reserve force of the PLA and the basis for the prosecution of
a people’s war under modern conditions. The General Staff Headquarters
administers the building of the militia under the leadership of the State
Council and the CMC. Under the command of military organs, the militia
in wartime helps the standing army in its military operations, conducts
independent operations, and provides combat support and manpower replenishment
for the standing army. In peacetime, it undertakes the tasks of performing
combat readiness support, taking part in emergency rescue and disaster
relief efforts, and maintaining social order.
In accordance with provisions in the Military Service Law of the
PRC, male citizens from 18 to 35 years of age who are fit for military
service, excluding those enlisted for active service, shall be regimented
into militia units to perform reserve service. The militia has two categories:
the primary and the ordinary. A selected group of militiamen under the
age of 28, including soldiers discharged from active service and other
persons who have received or are selected for military training, shall
be regimented into the primary militia; other male citizens belonging
to the age group of 18 to 35, who are qualified for reserve service shall
be regimented into the ordinary militia. The primary militia may recruit
female citizens when necessary. Rural towns and townships, administrative
villages, urban sub-districts, and enterprises and institutions of a certain
scale are the basic units in which the militia is organized. Primary militiamen
are separately organized for concentrated military training in militia
military training bases of administrative areas at the county level. Currently,
there are emergency detachments, and such specialized technical detachments
as anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft machineguns, portable air defense
missiles, ground artillery, communications, chemical defense, engineering
and reconnaissance detachments.
To ensure that militiamen are always ready to respond to the call in
case of a contingency, the Chinese government has formulated a militia
combat readiness system, whereby combat readiness education is carried
out regularly among the militia with the purpose of enhancing their national
defense awareness, and exercises are conducted in accordance with combat
readiness plans to enhance the militia’s operational capabilities.
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