Military of China
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| Military of China | |
|---|---|
| Name | People's Liberation Army |
| Native name | 中国人民解放军 |
| Caption | Emblem of the People's Liberation Army |
| Founded | 1 August 1927 |
| Current form | 1 October 1949 |
| Branches | People's Liberation Army Ground Force, People's Liberation Army Navy, People's Liberation Army Air Force, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force |
| Headquarters | Ministry of National Defense, Beijing |
| Commander-in-chief | Xi Jinping (Chairman of the Central Military Commission) |
| Commander-in-chief title | Commander-in-Chief |
| Minister | Dong Jun |
| Minister title | Minister of National Defense |
| Chief of staff | Liu Zhenli |
| Chief of staff title | Chief of the Joint Staff Department |
| Age | 18 |
| Conscription | Selective, 24-month service |
| Manpower data | 2024 |
| Available | 400,000,000 (approx.) |
| Fit | 300,000,000 (approx.) |
| Reaching | 10,000,000 annually |
| Active | 2,035,000 (2024) |
| Reserve | 510,000 (People's Liberation Army Militia) |
| Deployed | United Nations peacekeeping, Gulf of Aden, Djibouti |
| Budget | $216 billion (2023 est.) |
| Percent GDP | 1.6% (2023 est.) |
| Domestic suppliers | Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Norinco, China State Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Foreign suppliers | Russia, Ukraine (historically) |
| Imports | Su-35, S-400 missile system, Kilo-class submarines |
| Exports | Chengdu J-10, Type 056 corvette, CH-4 drone |
| Related articles | Military history of China, People's Armed Police |
Military of China. The armed forces of the People's Republic of China, collectively known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), constitute the world's largest active-duty military and are a central pillar of national power. Operating under the absolute leadership of the Chinese Communist Party with Xi Jinping as commander-in-chief, the PLA's mandate encompasses safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Its modern structure integrates five service branches and is undergoing a profound transformation from a mass infantry force to a technologically advanced, joint warfare-capable military.
History
The PLA's origins trace to the Nanchang Uprising on August 1, 1927, during the Chinese Civil War between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang. Under leaders like Zhu De and Mao Zedong, it evolved from the Red Army into a formidable guerrilla force, surviving the Long March and later playing a major role in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Following victory in the civil war and the founding of the PRC in 1949, it intervened in the Korean War against United Nations Command forces, notably at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Subsequent decades saw border conflicts like the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969, alongside a period of politicization during the Cultural Revolution. The late 20th century ushered in a decisive shift towards professionalization and modernization under reformers like Deng Xiaoping.
Organization
The PLA is organized under the Central Military Commission (CMC), the supreme military command headed by the CCP Chairman. The Ministry of National Defense handles diplomatic liaison. The five service branches are the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, the People's Liberation Army Navy (including the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps and Naval Air Force), the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (controlling strategic and tactical missiles), and the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (integrating space, cyber, and electronic warfare). The People's Armed Police handles internal security. The military is divided into five Theater Commands: Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central.
Personnel
The PLA maintains approximately 2 million active-duty personnel, supplemented by a large reserve and militia system. Conscription exists under the Military Service Law, but the force has transitioned to a volunteer-dominated professional model. Key leadership includes the CMC Vice Chairmen, the Chief of the Joint Staff Department, and commanders of the service branches. Officer education occurs at academies like the National University of Defense Technology and the PLA National Defence University. The Political Work Department ensures ideological loyalty, continuing the tradition of political commissars. Recent reforms have emphasized joint operational training, non-commissioned officer professional development, and attracting technical talent.
Equipment
The PLA's equipment has shifted from Soviet-derived designs to increasingly indigenous, advanced systems. The ground forces operate the Type 99 main battle tank, Type 05 amphibious assault vehicles, and the PLZ-05 self-propelled howitzer. The navy has rapidly expanded its fleet, deploying aircraft carriers like the Liaoning and Shandong, Type 055 destroyers, and Type 094 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The air force and naval aviation field aircraft such as the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, Shenyang J-16 multirole fighter, and Xian Y-20 strategic transport. The Rocket Force arsenal includes the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, and DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicle. Strategic support capabilities encompass the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and various reconnaissance and communications satellites.
Modernization and capabilities
The modernization drive, encapsulated in the strategy to achieve a "world-class military" by mid-century, focuses on informatization and intelligent warfare. Key areas include developing anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, advancing cyberwarfare and electronic warfare units, and expanding space and counterspace assets through programs managed by the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force. Joint logistics and command systems, like the Joint Logistics Support Force, have been reformed. Major exercises, such as those around the Taiwan Strait, demonstrate growing power projection and amphibious assault capabilities. Research and development is heavily invested in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and directed-energy weapons.
Role and deployments
The PLA's primary doctrinal roles are encapsulated in the concept of "active defense." Its core missions include ensuring internal stability, defending territorial claims in areas like the South China Sea and along the Line of Actual Control with India, and deterring any move toward formal independence for Taiwan. The military also plays a significant role in disaster relief, as seen during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Internationally, the PLA has increased its participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions in locations such as South Sudan and Lebanon, maintains an anti-piracy task force in the Gulf of Aden, and operates its first overseas military base in Djibouti. It engages in bilateral and multilateral exercises with partners like Russia (e.g., Vostok exercises) and nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Category:Military of China Category:People's Liberation Army