The People s Liberation Army

The People s Liberation Army (PLA) has been instrumental to the Communist Party of China (CPC) in protecting the interests of China. Since the PLA was established, it has played an important role in a number of situations that tested the sovereignty, security and interests of China; it has reinforced the stability of the CPC and helped protect the interests of China. This paper shall take a look at the more notable events that the PLA was involved in, how the PLA has affected the outcome of some notable events, the PLA s organizational structure, its assets and achievements. The People s Republic of China (PRC) may not have remained in existence till today had it not been for the PLA or for that matter, the PRC as can be observed from a quote from Mao Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
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As the PLA brought the CPC into power in 1949, the PLA also took

action on several occasions to maintain and protect the interests of the PRC in occupying Inner Mongolia and Tibet. The PLA has acted for the PRC on border disputes with China s neighbours. It also has a duty in ensuring that Taiwan does not declare its independence from China. The PLA is responsible for ensuring internal law and order, protecting national security and ensuring that the Communist Party remains in power. However, since the declaration of the PRC in 1949, the PLA has evolved significantly to improve and handle new concerns. The CCP having used the PLA to get into power needed the PLA to unify and govern the country. The PLA was instrumental in establishing the General Administrative Regions and governing large portions of China prior to 1954, and the armed forces were also instrumental in the "mopping up" campaigns against residual opposition in the early 1950s. The PLA was severely challenged in the Korean War and despite sustaining heavy casualties (about three million) the PLA managed to hold their own against United Nations forces. The episode convinced Chinese commanders of the PLA s backwardness and the pressing need for modernization. This is a quest that has bedevilled the PLA ever since. Lack of sustained commitment, inadequate financial resources, technological constraints,

unreliable access to international assistance and the vagaries of politics have all served to restrict the PLA's pursuit of professionalization and modernization. It has been able to field some modem weapons which give it the attributes of a major power, as well as evolving its doctrine, tactics and organizational structure 2 Reform of the military began after the landmark Central Military Commission meeting of December 1985, when significant reductions in the force structure ensued, but it has really only been since the mid-1990s (particularly after the Gulf War that Chinese leaders realized that the PLA was an oversized obsolete force) that serious and sweeping reforms have been undertaken to transform the PLA from a military based on quantity to one based on quality. Chairman Jiang Zemin made it a top priority to modernize the Chinese armed forces. This initiative has channelled resources more towards the navy and air force. The PLA is also actively preparing for space warfare and cyber warfare. Organizational Structure Central Military Commission The CMC functions as the PRC s national command authority. In this role, the CMC provides guidance for China s national military strategy and overall war effort. The PLA describes the CMC as the unified command authority for all of China s armed forces; it determines the operational policy for military strategy and armed force; it leads and manages the PLA s army building ; develops plans; approves weapons development and purchases; determines the PLA s organizational structure, missions, and responsibilities; approves promotions and awards for senior officers; and coordinates the PLA s budget with the State Council. 3 While it is the members of the CMC who revise the national military strategy, the CMC s general office is responsible for coordinating the effort among the general departments, services, Academy of Military Science, and National Defence University (NDU) to flesh out the strategy so it can be implemented throughout the rest of the PLA.

Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zhemin retained the post of chairman of the CMC even after relinquishing their other positions. General Departments The four general departments (General Staff, Political, Logistics, and Equipment) whose leaders are all members of the CMC are responsible for developing policies for the entire PLA under guidance of the CMC. The PLA describes the General Staff Department as the military leadership organization responsible for organizing the development of the armed forces and for operational command of the PLA.4 As the command organization for the ground forces, the General Staff Department is also responsible for the policies, plans, training, and equipping of the ground forces. Service Branches The PLA encompasses five main service branches: Ground Force, the Navy, the Air Force, the Second Artillery (strategic missile force), and the People's Armed Police. The People's Liberation Army Ground Force is the land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army. Its regular forces consist of 1.7 million personnel, with an additional 800,000 personnel in reserve, making it the largest active standing army in the world, and second largest in terms of army personnel.5 Although it is currently equipped with large numbers of antiquated Soviet era weaponry, the PLA Ground Force is quickly becoming one of the most modern and well-trained armies in the world. The Ground Forces are undergoing major upgrades and re- structuring to deal with future land warfare.6 Over the past two decades, the PLA ground forces saw some significant reductions and restructure of its personnel and equipment, resulting in a smaller, but more capable army with improved mobility and firepower. The ground forces can be divided into two general categories: group armies and provincial military districts. The majority of the regular ground forces are organised into 18 group armies, which are which are corps-sized combined arms units with gross manpower ranging from 45,000 to 60,000 personnel. Each of the PLA s seven military regions is

assigned with 2 or 3 group armies. The rest of the regular ground forces and all of the army reserve units are under the control of one of the 30 provincial military districts, which are tasked with border defence and internal security roles.7 Currently 40% of the ground force divisions and brigades are either armoured or mechanized to deal with potential threats. The PLA Ground Forces has and continues to undergo rapid major upgrades and re-structuring to deal with future land warfare, with front line troops, Special Forces, and marines given priority in receiving newer modern weapon systems.5 The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army; it is currently the second largest naval service in the world. With a personnel strength of over 250,000 5 as part of its overall program of naval modernization, the PLAN has a plan of developing a bluewater navy.8 The PLAN traces its origin to units of the Republic of China Navy who defected to the People's Liberation Army towards the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It was made up of an assorted range of ships and boats captured from Kuomintang forces. The Soviet Union provided naval advisors and modern equipments such as ships which allowed the PLAN to rapidly modernize its fleet and capabilities through the 1950 s and 1960 s. In the 1970 s and 1980 s large budgets for the navy meant that the PLAN was able to rapidly grow its fleet. The late 1980 s saw a shift from a focus on quantity to a focus on rapid modernization and quality of equipment as well as education and training for men. As China became an increasingly significant global power, the PLAN began to transform to project a more significant global presence by extending its offshore operations and enhancing its capabilities to safeguard China s growing presence and assets globally.9 The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 has also allowed China to direct more of its resource to force projection assets such as the PLAN instead of the regular Army Ground Force.10

Senior officials from the PLAN have said publicly that the PLAN was interested in developing a blue water fleet which includes a small number of aircraft carriers capable of operating in the regions beyond its offshore waters. The modernisation of the PLAN over the past decade has been driven by two factors, the possibility of a military conflict with Taiwan over the island s declaration of independence, and more recently, the growing needs to protect China s sea lines of communications (SLOC) in order to secure the country s global network of energy resources and trading activities.11 The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is the largest air force in Asia, and the third largest in the world behind the United States Air Force and the Russian Air Force.12 the PLAAF was founded at around the same time as the PLAN in 1949 with assistance from the Russians. The early years of the PLAAF was the most difficult as it was a period where China focused more on its missile and nuclear programs. Up until 1990s, the mission of the PLAF was to defend mainland China and was designed to be an air defence force. However, with the collapse of the USSR, China s growing economy and possibility of military conflict with Taiwan possibly involving the United States, it has started on a rapid modernization program which saw the purchase of many advanced fighter from Russia. The PLAAF has also developed its own version of advanced aircraft, the J-10 since 2002 and an estimated 200 J10 s are now in service. While the size of the PLAAF has shrunk over the last decade, the quality of its people and equipment has improved significantly. With the introduction of new generation aircraft, precision-guided munitions and support aircraft that serve as force multipliers, the PLAAF is now not only capable of carrying out traditional missions such as air defence and support for ground forces, but could also undertake offensive strikes against ground and naval targets beyond China s borders13

The Second Artillery Corps controls all of the PLA s strategic missile assets as well as China s nuclear arsenal. It was founded in 1966 and by the late 1980 s it possessed a small but credible nuclear deterrent force. It is under the direct command of the CMC and is the smallest of the five service branches.14 The People s Armed Police Force (PAP) is the force responsible for civilian policing, disaster and fire rescue duties. The PAP has statutory authority to respond to riots and emergencies.15 they are in charge of internal security and providing protection to important people. The PAP is required to provide support to the PLA in times of war. The reason for having the People s Armed Police Force was because it became apparent that a different type of troops was required for specialized handling of various domestic issues. The PAP is often called in to handle unrest from ethnic minorities. The PAP is in charge of China s border security, fire fighting, traffic policing and road construction. In times of war, the PAP can be called upon to support the army as light infantry support.16

Notable involvements The Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang and the CPC, 17 for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China (now commonly known as Taiwan) and People's Republic of China (Mainland China). With the fall of the Qing Dynasty, China was left under the control of a number of warlords who occupied a large part of China. The Kuomintang, led by Sun Yat-Sen sought to unify China. He secured training, education and equipment needed to defeat the warlords and restore unity in China.

Communist members were allowed to join the KMT although the communists numbered 300 in 1923 while the KMT numbered 50,000 members. In 1927 the KMT and CPC split due to disagreements in ideology. The period from 1927-1937 saw clashes between the KMT and different factions of the CPC, this ultimately saw Mao Zedong the leader of the CPC. During the Japanese occupation, the KMT and CPC suspended fighting to form a united front which lasted till 1941. The Japanese occupation of China caused the KMT government to be severely weakened from the advances of the Japanese. While the CPC gained support for its use of guerrilla tactics against the Japanese. A full scale war broke out after the Japanese occupation and lasted from 1946 till 1949. This war was known as the war of liberation. The PLA began the war at a disadvantage in terms of manpower and equipment, they avoided head-on confrontation with the KMT to preserve their forces, as the war progressed, they were able to capture KMT military equipment and grow their force steadily while reducing the KMT force s numbers. The KMT was eventually pushed by the PLA to Taipei and Mao Zedong declared the People s Republic of China with its capital at Beijing. China Taiwan Crisis After the CPC led by Mao gained control of mainland china, there were at least three notable situations that occurred between the CPC and the Kuomintang which was located in Taiwan. The first notable event occurred shortly after the relocation of the Kuomintang to Taiwan in 1954. It occurred on the backdrop of the Korean War in which the USA and members of the United Nations were already fighting a proxy war against the North Korean and Chinese Communists.

At that time, the Kuomintang continued to maintain its goal of driving the communists in mainland China out of power. In August 1954, the Nationalists began transporting thousands of troops to Quemoy and Matsu. Chiang Kai Shek the leader of the Kuomintang had fortified the two islands heavily ever since the Kuomintang was driven out of mainland china in preparation for a return to mainland China. In response to the increased troop deployment, the PLA began heavy artillery bombardment on the Island of Quemoy. As the United States was a supporter of Taiwan and only recognised the Chinese government of the Kuomintang, they threatened carrying out nuclear strikes against China. However, their intention to carry out a nuclear strike against china was condemned by close allies such as Britain and the international community.

The crisis eventually simmered down when China ceased artillery bombardments in May 1955. Though the root of the problem remained unresolved and the PLA began to build up its capabilities to attack Taiwan and the Kuomintang continued to reinforce their positions in Quemoy and Matsu. The Second Taiwan Crisis The Second Taiwan Crisis began when the PLA resumed heavy artillery bombardment on the Island of Quemoy in August 1958. Kuomintang forces took cover and returned artillery fire with the help of artillery guns transferred from the United States. The bombardment by the PLA was followed by aerial attacks by the PLAAF using fighter planes; however the aerial attacks were unsuccessful as the United States had provided the Kuomintang army with superior air to air missiles. A stale mate soon ensued, after which a ceasefire was agreed upon in October that year. The Third Taiwan Crisis The Third Taiwan Crisis occurred from 1995 to 1996 and was about a series of missile tests that occurred around Taiwan. It was intended to intimidate the government of Taiwan who at that time had been seen as moving away from the One-China Policy. This led to a display of force by the US as the Bill Clinton ordered a massive number of navy ships into the Taiwan Strait. Up until today, the situation in Taiwan has been an issue which the PLA has always had to consider and it remains to be the last unresolved issue of China s territorial claims.

Modernization

The Chinese Communist Army of 1949 was basically a peasant-infantry force organized and trained mainly for guerrilla-type operations. Its fire power, mobility, communications, and logistics were limited and for the most part archaic.18 Experiences from conflicts such as the Taiwan Crisis and the Korean War made the PLA realised that mass infantry tactics against a technologically advanced army led to high rate of casualties

The reasons for China's force modernization are numerous. First and foremost is the PLA's desire to address its problem of antiquated and obsolescent military equipment. Many of the current weapon systems are tied to 1950's and 1960's technology. Other factors include: China's ability to cope with a variety of largely new and specific post-Cold War threats and concerns, including possible threats to claimed territories along China's periphery in Asia as well as potential long term threats from major powers; and to support China's overall power ambitions and augment its growing political and economic influence in East-Asia and beyond. 19

Taking advantage of the provisions of the 1950 Assistance Treaty with the Soviet Union and Soviet assistance furnished during the Korean War, the Chinese leadership decided to modernize the military along the lines of the Soviet military.20

During the 1960 s, tensions between the soviets and Chinese caused the soviets to remove their assistance towards to the PLA. Without the help of the soviets, the PLA had to plan their own direction or military upgrading and modernization. Chinese officials now have acknowledged that the PLA is not a "modern army." During the 1970s and 1980s China was often short of capital, technology and skilled human capital to complete high tech projects. Coupled with the weak industrial sector present in China and slow rate of technological improvement, modernization of the PLA relied heavily on import of weapons and technology. Deng Xiaoping was a staunch supporter of importing foreign technology to modernize the PLA. As providing all of the PLA with imported equipments would prove too costly, China had to learn how to manufacture their own advanced equipments based on foreign imports. In the last 30 years however, as the Chinese economy grew at an outstanding rate and more and more resources could be channelled towards the PLA, it was able to purchase much more

equipments from other countries, learn the technologies behind the equipments and make copies for the PLAs use or to resell to other countries. The PLAN has already almost completed refitting of the Varyag aircraft carrier, which was abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union. 21 The aircraft carrier would be the centrepiece of the blue water fleet that the PLAN intends to operate to exert its global presence in future. The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) provides the other arm associated with power projection capability. Due to the technical aspects of aviation, the PLAAF has had to rely on purchases from the Former Soviet Union to modernize it forces. The goal for modernization of the PLAAF is to acquire a more versatile, advanced air force with longer-range interceptor/strike aircraft, improved air defence, extended and close air support, and overall improved power projection capabilities with long range transport and lift and mid-air refuelling capabilities The PLA ground forces receive the lowest priority in modernization efforts of the three armed forces. To compensate for their deficiencies the ground forces have created a two tiered force. The majority of PLA forces are comprised of the ground forces. Efforts to modernize the bulk of its forces would be an almost impossible task. In order to create a high level of readiness in some of its forces, the PLA leadership has created elite units of combat ready deployable troops. Compared to western nuclear powers, China currently possesses a limited nuclear capability consisting of air, land and sea based warheads. China remains committed to upgrading its arsenal both in size and operational sophistication. The only hurdles facing the nuclear modernization program is its unproven missile guidance systems. It is thought that China may flaunt its nuclear strike capability if and when the Taiwan/PRC issue becomes a crisis. Chinese nuclear capability could possibly neutralize U.S. participation in the crisis. China will continue to modernize its nuclear delivery capability with upgrades to its Quang-5 nuclear-capable attack aircraft and development of cruise missile technology22

The extent to which China will become a significant regional power and world power will hinge on the result of its modernization programs. China is aware that in order for the PLA to be a significant military, it needs to have a strong economy to support it. This will allow the PLA to achieve its modernization plans. The capability of the PLA to exercise power projection in the world depends on the success of its modernization plans

References:
1

The Construction of State Socialism in China, 1949-1965 (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1996). Ellis Joffe, The Chinese Army After Mao (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987) Wang Zhenxi, editor, Shijie junshi nianjian [World Military Yearbook], Beijing: PLA Press, 1987, p. 101.

Tai Ming Cheung, The Influence of the Gun: China s Central Military Commission and Its Relationship with the Military, Party, and State Decision-Making Systems, in David M. Lampton, ed., The Making of Chinese Foreign and Security Policy in the Era of Reform Stanford: Stanford University Press, pp. 61-90.
5

World's Largest Army, Largest Army in the World. Retrieved 2008-11-07 http://www.espritdecorps.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=260:worlds-ten-largestarmies&catid=39:personnel&Itemid=82 http://www.scribd.com/doc/515340/Peoples-Liberation-Army-Ground-Force http://www.sinodefence.com/army/default.asp http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/07/content_10963412.htm China s navy 2007 pp.5 http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/oni/chinanavy2007.pdf

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China s Arrival: A Strategic Framework for a Global Relationship

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http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/CNAS%20China%27s%20Arrival_Final%20Report.pdf http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/default.asp Hacket, James. ed. The Military Balance 2010 http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/default.asp http://www.sinodefence.com/strategic/default.asp http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/27/content_8625494.htm The Chinese Army today Routledge. p. 87 Gay, Kathlyn. Mao Zedong's China Pg.7

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18

Defense Intelligence Agency, Handbook of the Chinese Ground Forces

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Michael D. Swaine, "Chinese Military Modernization: Motives, Objectives, and Requirements," in China's Economic Future: Challenges to U.S. Policy; Study Papers. (Washington: GPO, 1996) 321.
20

Defense Intelligence Agency, Handbook of the Chinese Ground Forces

21

http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/varyag.asp

22

Alastair lain Johnston, "Prospects for Chinese Nuclear Force Modernization: Limited Deterrence Versus Multilateral Arms Control, " in The China Quarterly, ed. David Shambaugh (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996) 574-5