The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is the armed forces of the PRC, the largest army in the world (2,250,000 people in active service). Founded on August 1, 1927 as a result of the Nanchang uprising as a communist "Red Army", under the leadership of Mao Zedong during the civil war in China (1930s), organized major raids (the Great March of the Chinese Communists), after the proclamation of the PRC in 1949 - the regular army of this the state.
The legislation provides for military service for men from the age of 18; volunteers are accepted up to 49 years old. Due to the large population of the country and the sufficient number of volunteers, the call was never made. In wartime, up to 300 million people can theoretically be mobilized.
The PLA is not directly subordinate to the party or government, but to two special Central Military Commissions - the state and the party. Usually these commissions are identical in composition, and the term CVC is used in the singular. The post of chairman of the Central Exhibition Complex is key for the entire state. In recent years, it usually belongs to the Chairman of the PRC, but in the 1980s, for example, the Central Exhibition Complex was headed by Deng Xiaoping, who was actually the country's leader (formally, he was never either the Chairman of the PRC or the Premier of the PRC State Council, but the post of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the party occupied earlier, even under Mao before the "cultural revolution").
The naval force of the People's Republic of China is 250,000 strong and is organized into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, headquartered in Qingdao, the East Sea Fleet, headquartered in Ningbo, and the South Sea Fleet, headquartered in Zhanjiang. Each fleet includes surface ships, submarines, naval aviation, coastal defense units, and the marines.
General information:
Minimum military recruitment age: 19
Available military manpower: 5,883,828
Total military personnel: 1,965,000
on the front line: 290,000
reserve forces: 1,653,000
paramilitary: 22,000
Annual military expense: $ 10.5 billion
Available purchasing power: $ 690.1 billion
Reported Gold Reserves: $ 282.9 billion
Total Workforce: 10,780,000
Weapon units
Aircrafts: 916
Armored cars: 2 819
Artillery systems: 2040
Missile defense systems: 1,499
Infantry Support Systems: 1,400
Naval units: 97
Naval Trade Power: 102
The presence of nuclear weapons: no
Territories suitable for hostilities
Operating airports: 41
Railways: 2,502 km
Serviceable highways: 37,299 km
Main ports and harbors: 3
Total area of the country: 35,980 km²
Amphibian MP PLA
PLA Navy Marines
other information:
Chinese army at the beginning of the XXI century
Almost seventy-four years ago, on August 1, 1927, Chinese revolutionaries, among whom was the famous Zhou Enlai, who later became the first Premier of the State Administrative Council of the PRC, revolted in Nanchang (Jiangxi Province) against the "northern" government existing in China at that time.
Zhou Enlai
More than 20 thousand armed fighters under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party have thus expressed their disagreement with the existing regime, thereby initiating the armed struggle of the Chinese people against external and internal enemies. On July 11, 1933, the Provisional Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic decided to celebrate August 1 as the day of the formation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Later, this day became known as the date of birth of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).
This is one of the few public holidays that originated long before the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and today is one of the most revered and widely celebrated in the PRC and the Chinese people.
The readers of the Asian Library will learn about what the Chinese army is today, what it consists of, how it is characterized, and what prospects for the further defense construction of our great neighboring state from this article, written on the basis of materials from the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian and foreign press.
Pursuant to the National Defense Law of the People's Republic of China, adopted in March 1997, the PLA and the reserve troops, together with the People's Armed Police (PNP) troops and the people's militia, constitute a "triune system" of the Chinese armed forces.
People's Armed Militia
Today the People's Liberation Army of China has been significantly reduced and numbers about 2, 8 million people. It includes all the components of a modern army, including the air force, naval forces, and other troops, which are armed with not only conventional weapons, but also intercontinental missiles and modern nuclear weapons.
Strategic nuclear forces include land, air and naval components and have a total of 167 nuclear weapons carriers. They are based on the Strategic Missile Forces, which are armed with 75 ground-based ballistic missile launchers. Strategic aviation numbers 80 Hung-6 aircraft (based on the Tu-16). The naval component includes a nuclear-powered missile submarine with 12 Juilan-1 missile launchers.
"Hun-6" (created on the basis of Tu-16)
The ground forces number 2.2 million servicemen and consist of 89 combined-arms divisions of the field forces (including 3 "rapid reaction" divisions and 11 tank divisions), most of which are consolidated into 24 combined-arms armies.
The Air Force has about 4,000 combat aircraft, mostly of outdated types, and is intended mainly for solving air defense missions and, to a lesser extent, for providing support to the ground forces. They are dominated by fighter aircraft, which account for about 75% of the aircraft fleet.
J-10 fighters
In the naval forces there are about 100 large warships, and 600 combat aircraft and helicopters of naval aviation. To guard the coast, there are about 900 patrol ships capable of operating only in the coastal zone. The Chinese Navy does not yet have aircraft-carrying cruisers. For operations under water, there are about 50 Kilo-class diesel submarines in service.
In the 90s. the combat composition of the PLA did not undergo significant changes, which is explained by the attention of the country's leadership, first of all, to the problems of restructuring the research complex and the defense industry. At the same time, the number of military equipment in the troops and in the navy decreased somewhat due to the removal from service of the most outdated models.
KILO-class non-nuclear submarine (project 636)
The number of the PLA reserve is estimated by Western researchers at 1.2 million people. However, in the event of a threat to the PRC, it can easily be increased, since more than 600 thousand servicemen are dismissed from the army every year, and the number of the most trained part of the reserve (persons dismissed over the past five years) can be about 3 million people.
The modernization of the PLA at the current stage is carried out at a slow pace and is selective. The greatest efforts are being made to modernize the strategic nuclear forces by replacing outdated liquid-propellant missiles with the more advanced solid-fuel Dongfeng-41 and Juilan-2.
Recently, another direction has been developed - the creation of mobile forces of the PLA on the basis of existing formations, designed to act in local conflicts along the perimeter of the state border, as well as to support the people's armed police in ensuring internal security and public order. The number of this developing component is about 250 thousand people (9% of the ground forces), in the near future it is planned to include strike aviation and part of the naval forces in its composition. By 2010mobile forces can include up to one third of the PLA (about 800 thousand people).
Along with the development of new types of conventional weapons, in particular the 90-11 main battle tank and the Jian-10 (R-10) multipurpose fighter, steps are being taken to bridge the gap between China and the militarily developed countries in the field of precision weapons. The Chinese military leadership believes that this type of weapons has recently been actively proving its effectiveness. The widespread use of precision weapons during the recent NATO aggression in the Balkans, despite a number of blunders (or specially planned actions) that led to the tragedy at the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, which resulted in the deaths of 3 Chinese citizens, testifies to its high combat effectiveness.
Main battle tank type 90-11
Fighter J-10 (Jian-10)
The Americans cannot come to terms with the fact that in the person of the People's Republic of China they are acquiring another powerful competitor in the field of creating high-precision weapons. In 1997, the US Secretary of Defense's report on China's military strategy expressed concern over the development of a Chinese cruise missile, which may enter service in 2010. The United States is also angry that in the foreseeable future China may cease to be one of the potential American nuclear targets, since in 1996 Beijing began developing its own missile defense system, which is also scheduled to be completed in a design version by 2005-2010.
According to Chinese experts, the technical equipment of China's defense industry lags behind the advanced level by more than 15 years. To overcome this gap as soon as possible and solve the problems of defense modernization, the PRC leadership decided to resume military-technical cooperation with Russia. Today it is carried out on a long-term contractual basis in the context of relations of equal and trusting partnership developing between the two countries and covers such areas as military science, high technologies (including dual-use), space, communications. China got the opportunity to purchase Russian military equipment, train military-technical specialists in Russia, and implement joint projects for the development, modernization and repair of weapons. Such steps by China undoubtedly contribute to solving the most pressing problems of modernizing the PLA.
In recent years, China has purchased large quantities of military equipment from Russia; a license was acquired for the production of Russian Su-27 fighters (without the right to export to third countries); an agreement was concluded on the repair of Chinese diesel submarines at Russian enterprises.
An analysis of Chinese doctrinal views and trends in defense construction in the current decade shows that China intends to continue the modernization of the military-industrial complex and armed forces, considering these measures as a guarantee of external and internal security and a prerequisite for the country's successful economic and social development.
The main trends in the field of defense construction of the PRC
The main trends in the field of defense construction of the PRC are formed under the influence of new moments in doctrinal views, which have replaced the previous concept of preparing the country for a global war. The main one is the thesis that a new world war in the foreseeable future is hardly possible, since today there are opportunities to ensure a peaceful international situation for a relatively long period. At the same time, according to Chinese assessments, the stereotypes of thinking during the Cold War and politics from a position of strength have not been eradicated from the practice of international relations, as evidenced by the humanitarian catastrophe in the Balkans that broke out in April-June 1999 through the fault of the United States and NATO. The roles of countries and the balance of power in world politics do not have a constant configuration and, under certain conditions, can change in a direction that is unfavorable for China. Therefore, at the turn of the century, the country's leadership considers it important to turn China into a state with powerful armed forces capable of effectively protecting the country from external threats. This is largely due to the experience of relations with the West in the last century, when China, which is highly cultured but militarily weak, underwent intrigue and outright plunder by Western countries, experienced national humiliation and fell into semi-colonial dependence on them.
In this regard, as follows from official statements, in particular from the White Paper on national defense, recently published by the State Council of the PRC, the main content of the PRC's policy in the field of military development is to strengthen defense, counter aggression and armed subversion, ensure state sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the country. At the same time, it is emphasized that the PRC cannot be a source of aggression and will never, under any circumstances, use nuclear weapons first.
At the turn of the century, the predominant trend in the field of military development in the PRC is the improvement of the qualitative parameters of the defense potential while reducing the number of the PLA. The country's leadership has put forward a demand to strengthen the army at the expense of science and technology, to strengthen research on defense significance, to create and improve a defense industry mechanism that meets the conditions of a market economy, and to gradually update weapons and equipment.
The armed forces are tasked with increasing the capabilities of conducting combat operations in the event of sudden changes in the situation in the conditions of the use of modern technology, including science-intensive technologies.
One of the important trends in the defense construction of the PRC is the further reduction in the number of the PLA. In addition to the reduction of 1 million people announced in 1985, China in 1997 announced its intention by 2001 to make a new reduction of this component by 500 thousand people - from 3 million to 2.5 million people. Mainly ground forces (by 19%) and, to a lesser extent, air and naval forces (by 11, 6% and 11%, respectively) are subject to reduction. It is important to emphasize that this process is accompanied by measures to strengthen the People's Armed Police, the number of which is planned to increase from 1 million to 2 million by 2000.
China's nuclear strategy, which has pledged not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, is reflected in the concept of "limited nuclear retaliation." It involves the construction of a nuclear deterrent force capable of creating a threat of unacceptable damage to force a potential adversary to abandon the use of nuclear weapons against China. This approach does not focus on achieving nuclear parity with developed countries and therefore is rational from the point of view of saving material and financial resources.
The formation of views on the construction of general-purpose forces occurs on the basis of an analysis of major armed conflicts that have occurred in the current decade. The evolution of views in this area has led to the adoption of the concepts of "rapid response" and "limited war in the context of the use of high technologies", which presuppose the creation of relatively compact armed forces equipped with modern equipment and weapons and capable of immediately performing combat missions in local conflicts. Accordingly, the Chinese armed forces have developed the mobile forces of the PLA and placed a special emphasis on the development of various electronic systems for military purposes, including early warning and early warning systems, communications, command and control of troops and weapons, and electronic warfare.
According to Chinese statistics, China's defense spending in 2000 amounted to about $ 10 billion and is one of the lowest in the world. Their share in the gross national product of the PRC does not exceed 1.5% (1995) and tends to decrease: in 1999 this figure was 1.1%.
However, skeptics believe that the official figures reflect only the expenditures of the Ministry of Defense and do not take into account the appropriations for military needs provided for in the budgets of other departments and agencies. In addition, some Western scholars believe that part of the cost of maintaining military garrisons, local troops and the reserve is financed from the provincial budgets, and not from the central budget. Taking this into account, they estimate China's real military expenditures as exceeding official ones. For example, the Japanese claim that actual defense spending in the PRC in 199 was about $ 30 billion.
Be that as it may, it is quite obvious that, taking into account the objective need to modernize the defense complex, the foundations of which were formed in the 50-60s, the huge population of the country (more than 1, 2 billion people), the immense area of the territory and the length of land and maritime borders, military spending of the PRC does not exceed the level corresponding to the principle of defense sufficiency. For comparison, in 2000, Japan's military spending was about 48; Great Britain - 38; Germany - 40; France - 47; USA - $ 290 billion. That is who needs to take care of reducing their militaristic appetites!
The construction of the Chinese army in the 21st century is likely to be influenced by a number of external and internal factors, which in general have a constraining effect on the financing of military spending.
External factors are characterized by the normalization of China's relations with neighboring countries and major powers in the world. A special place among them is occupied by the dynamically developing Russian-Chinese relations of equal partnership aimed at strategic interaction in the 21st century. The growing integration of China into the world economy as one of the necessary conditions for successful economic construction in this country is acquiring serious significance here.
Among the internal factors, the priority attention of the PRC leadership should be highlighted to ensuring internal political stability in the state and solving complex socio-economic problems in conditions of a shortage of natural resources and certain demographic and environmental tensions.
China's significant successes in the economic, political, social and other spheres, in addition to obvious dividends, brought it an unforeseen threat, namely, gave rise to fears in the world, and in our country as well, related to China's retreat from its commitment to peace and good neighborliness. As a result of misunderstanding or deliberate distortion of the military intentions of the PRC, the thesis about the "Chinese threat" has appeared, periodically inflated in both Western and Russian media.
It is deeply regretted in China that publications appear abroad that testify to a misunderstanding of Chinese foreign policy and defense construction. Their essence boils down to the following charges:
1) after the reduction of Russian and American troops in the Asia-Pacific region (APR), China is trying to occupy the resulting power vacuum;
2) China is about to become a military and economic superpower in the region;
3) its purchases from Russia of modern types of weapons, the PRC is responsible for the arms race in the region;
4) China is just waiting to pump up its military muscles as quickly as possible and strike at neighboring countries, and even the United States.
Chinese experts refute these accusations, citing data on the number of weapons (including nuclear) of Russia and the United States in the region. In their opinion, they exceed China's armaments. Chinese scientists say that although Russia and the US have reduced their armaments, these countries still have the most powerful armies in the Asia-Pacific region, and therefore there is no "power vacuum" as the US and Russia have not left it.
Refuting another accusation, the leaders and scientists of the PRC argue that China does not intend to seek hegemony and political diktat in the world, and even having become a sufficiently strong state, it will not strive for this.
As for the next accusation, Chinese experts believe that military modernization that meets the needs of modern defense is a huge problem for China, since the current state and level of the PLA is inferior in many respects to the armies of neighboring powers. In their opinion, China's military spending is less than the defense spending of even a country like South Korea and an economic entity like Taiwan.
There is a considerable grain of truth in these judgments. The second half of the 1980s and 1990s are characterized by the fact that internal threats bother China much more often and are sometimes more dangerous than external ones. For 20 years now, China has focused on itself, implementing vital reforms. For the Chinese leadership, the primary problems are internal ones, which hinder the normal functioning of the state and pose serious threats to its existence. Social, economic, political, environmental problems carry a huge potential for creating serious crisis situations, which makes the country's security and stability vulnerable.
Consequently, creating additional external problems for oneself means distracting from internal ones, and this would contradict the logic of the Chinese reforms.
The foregoing gives reason to believe that at the beginning of the 21st century, the Chinese army will not attack either Russia or any other country. It is also highly doubtful that the PLA will ever forcibly invade its Taiwan province, despite the statements of the PRC leadership at the end of the last century that they do not rule out violent actions against Taiwan if its leadership (by the way, left the political scene after the recent political elections on the island) will disrupt the process of unification of the Chinese nation with its provocations.
It simply makes no sense for China to carry out armed aggression against Taiwan, since the latter is already de facto entering the fold of mainland China. Taiwanese investments on the mainland now amount to tens of billions of dollars a year, and the business of leading Taiwanese corporations in the PRC is expanding at cruising speed and acquiring gigantic proportions. Does it make sense to chop a chicken that sits in the nest itself to lay the golden eggs?
All activities of the PLA are determined today on the basis of the principle of defense sufficiency. And those "specialists" who, drawing a bloody monster from China and its army, are trying to intimidate people and prevent the inevitable strengthening of Russian-Chinese cooperation, I would like to remind a good Russian proverb: "A thief shouts louder than anyone:" Stop the thief!"
