People’s Liberation Army (PLA): 99 years of glorious history of great services, patriotism and valour I
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
https://www.thenewslark.com
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the pride of the People's Republic of China, its leadership and people. It has a 99-year glorious history of great service, patriotism, and valour. It is led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and was founded on 1st August 1927. It includes four main services (Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force) and four arms. It is controlled by the Central Military Commission (CMC) under a chairman. It is supported by the Aerospace Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the joint Logistics Support Force (JLSF).
The Communist Party of China and its leaders' vision turned the PLA into a very strong, competent, highly effective force. The three types of political legitimacy in China affected the PLA. 1. “Revolutionary Charisma” under leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping from 1949 to 1972. 2. “Economic Personality” under Deng, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao from 1979 to 2002 and 3. “National Populism under leaders Hu and Xi Jinping since 2002 till now. Each of these legitimacy types helped both drive and constrain the People’s Liberation Army's (PLA) modernization and behavior in distinct ways. Moreover, each type of legitimacy experienced periods of strength and weakness. The CCP has experienced long periods of transition between types of political legitimacy. Periods of stability for each type of political legitimacy have tended to last about ten years. According to this pattern, a transition to a new basis of political legitimacy is likely underway or imminent. The strength of the CCP's revolutionary charisma legitimacy contributed to a dogged fighting style and impressive battlefield resilience in the Korean War. The turn to economic prosperity facilitated the military's embrace of modernization. Under Xi, national populism as a type of legitimacy has incentivized the CCP to take more assertive actions to defend the nation's interests but paradoxically also increased its sensitivity to military casualties, which has resulted in a military that is improving its professionalism even as it remains cautious about combat operations. How the CCP's legitimacy evolves in the coming years will profoundly shape the form of military challenge posed by the PLA. The result could be a peer military competitor, but other scenarios are possible.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the primary armed forces of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four services—Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force—and four arms—Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Information Support Force, and Joint Logistics Support Force. It operates under the CCP's absolute control and is led by the Central Military Commission (CMC) with its chairman as commander-in-chief. Alongside the paramilitary People's Armed Police (PAP) and the Militia, the PLA forms the bulk of the country's armed forces.
The PLA can trace its origins during the Republican era to the left-wing units of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), when they broke away in 1927 in an uprising against the nationalist government as the Chinese Red Army before being reintegrated into the NRA as units of New Fourth Army and Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The two NRA communist units were reconstituted as the PLA in 1947. Since 1949, the PLA has used nine different military strategies, which it calls "strategic guidelines". The most important came in 1956, 1980, and 1993. Politically, the PLA and the PAP have the largest delegation in the National People's Congress (NPC); the joint delegation currently has 281 deputies—over 9% of the total—all of whom are CCP members.
The PLA is the armed wing of the CCP and controlled by the party, not by the state. The PLA's primary mission is the defense of the party and its interests. The PLA is the guarantor of the party's survival and rule, and the party prioritizes maintaining control and the loyalty of the PLA. According to Chinese law, the party has absolute control over the armed forces and the CMC exercises supreme military command; the party and state CMCs are practically a single body by membership. Since 1989, the CCP general secretary has also been the CMC Chairman; this grants significant political power as the only member of the Politburo Standing Committee with direct responsibilities for the armed forces. The Ministry of National Defense has no command authority; it is the PLA's interface with state and foreign entities and insulates the PLA from external influence.
Today, the majority of military units around the country are assigned to one of five theatre commands by geographical location. In addition to wartime arrangements, the PLA is also involved in the peacetime operations of other components of the armed forces. This is particularly visible in maritime territorial disputes where the navy is heavily involved in the planning, coordination and execution of operations by the PAP's China Coast Guard. The PLA is the world's largest military force (not including paramilitary or reserve forces) and has the second largest defense budget in the world. China's military expenditure was US$336 billion in 2024, accounting for 12 percent of the world's defense expenditures. It is also one of the fastest modernizing militaries in the world, and has been termed a potential military superpower, with significant regional defense and rising global power projection capabilities.
The PLA's primary mission is the defense of the CCP and its interests. It is the guarantor of the party's survival and rule, and the party prioritizes maintaining control and the loyalty of the PLA.
August 1 marks the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). Ninety-nine years ago, the gunfire of the Nanchang Uprising marked the beginning of a new chapter in China's revolutionary history, bringing hope at a time of national turmoil and inspiring people to pursue independence and liberation.
Over nearly 10 decades, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the PLA has made remarkable contributions to national liberation, economic and social development and the safeguarding of world peace. Its history demonstrates that a strong military is not only a pillar of national security but also an important force for maintaining stability in an increasingly uncertain world.
A nation's prosperity and security are closely connected with the strength of its armed forces. As the world enters a period of profound transformation, geopolitical conflicts, security challenges and emerging threats are becoming increasingly complex. In this context, the principle that "a strong country must have a strong military, as only then can it guarantee the security of the nation" has gained greater significance.
Accelerating the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is not only a practical necessity for responding to complicated security challenges but also an essential requirement for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping has stressed that the PLA must always uphold the Party's leadership, remain faithful to its nature and purpose as a people's army, and continuously enhance its ability to fulfill missions in the new era. These important statements provide strategic direction for advancing China's national defense modernization and highlight the close connection between a strong military, national security, and long-term peace and development.
The PLA has always been a people's army, rooted in the people and dedicated to serving the people. From the revolutionary years of fighting for national independence to the period of peaceful development, the PLA has remained committed to its fundamental purpose of safeguarding the interests of the country and its people. The close relationship between the military and the people has become a distinctive feature of the PLA's development.
Whether in defending national sovereignty, participating in disaster relief, or carrying out international humanitarian missions, soldiers from the PLA have consistently demonstrated responsibility, discipline, and dedication. ( Continued )
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