The Armed Forces

The armed forces of the People's Republic of China (PRC) are composed of the PLA made up of both active and reserve components, the Chinese People's Armed Police Force and the militia. Their main tasks are to consolidate national defense, resist aggression, defend the motherland, safeguard the people's peaceful labor, participate in national construction and strive to serve the people. The Central Military Commission (CMC) of the PRC directs and assumes unified command of the nation's armed forces. The active components of the PLA are the country's standing army, consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Second Artillery Force, military academies and institutes of scientific and technological research for national defense, which perform the duty of conducting operations of defense, and, if necessary, helping to maintain social order in accordance with the law. They are divided into seven military area commands. The PLA's reserve force receives military training in peacetime in accordance with 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. 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 Armed Police Force was established in June 1982, subordinate to the State Council. It is under the dual leadership of the State Council and the CMC, and exercises a combined system of unified administration and command at different levels. The Armed Police Force implements the Military Service Law of the PRC and the PLA's orders, rules and regulations, and enjoys the same benefits as those of the PLA.

Internal security forces are the mainstay of the Armed Police Force, together with the frontier police force, fire brigades and security guards subject to the command of public security organs and gold mine, forest, water conservancy, electricity power and transportation forces under dual leadership of relevant agencies of the State Council and the Armed Police Force. The primary missions of the Armed Police Force are to safeguard state sovereignty and dignity, to maintain social order and security and to guard the Party and government leading organs, key targets of protection in the country and the safety of people's life and property.

The militia is 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.

To ensure that militiamen and women 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.

Leaders of the Four General Departments of the PLA

Chief of the General Staff: Liang Guanglie
Director of the General Political Department: Li Jinai
Director of the General Logistics Department: Liao Xilong
Director of the General Armaments Department: Chen Bingde

Leaders of the Seven Military Command Areas

Shenyang: Commander Chang Wanquan, Political Commissar Jiang Futang 
Beijing: Commander Zhu Qi, Political Commissar Fu Tinggui
Lanzhou: Commander Li Qianyuan, Political Commissar Yu Linxiang
Ji'nan: Commander Fan Changlong, Political Commissar Liu Dongdong
Nanjing: Commander Zhu Wenquan, Political Commissar Lei Mingqiu
Guangzhou: Commander Liu Zhenwu, Political Commissar Yang Deqing
Chengdu: Commander Wang Jianmin, Political Commissar Liu Shutian

Leaders of Armed Services

Navy: Commander Zhang Dingfa, Political Commissar Hu Yanlin
Air Force: Commander Qiao Qingchen, Political Commissar Deng Changyou
Second Artillery Force: Commander Jing Zhiyuan, Political Commissar Peng Xiaofeng

Leaders of the Armed Police Force

Commander: Wu Shuangzhan
First Political Commissar: Zhou Yongkang
Political Commissar: Sui Mingtai

Source: www.xinhuanet.com, as of March 25, 2006