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The People's Armed Police Force is a Chinese gendarmerie organization primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, counter-terrorism, disaster response, law enforcement and admiralty law as well as providing support to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during wartime.
Unlike the civilian People's Police, the PAP is a specialized paramilitary force reporting directly to the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). PAP officers and soldiers wear dark olive green uniforms, different from pine green uniforms of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) or the light blue and black uniforms of the People's Police. Additionally, People's Armed Police police officers are Active duty and receive veteran's benefits.
The PAP is estimated to have a total strength of 1.5 million. It was established in its current form in 1982, but similar security forces have operated since the founding of the China in 1949. During the Mao Zedong era, the PAP's predecessors were the Chinese People's Public Security Force, initially under the MPS, and later the Public Security Corps which was under the command of the PLA.
The PSF was assigned to the PLA and became the PLA Public Security Force in September 1950, and the PLA Public Security Corps in July 1955, reporting under the Central Military Commission of the CCP and the National Defense Council of the People's Republic. Luo Ruiqing was appointed as the commander and political commissar of the PSF in September 1950 and remained on the posts until 1959, retaining the command of the PSF.
As of 1960, the Public Security Corps was organized in 8,200-strong Public Security Divisions, which were deemed not capable of independent, sustained, full-scale combat operations.
The PAP was led by both the local government and superior PAP forces, which is called "Dual-Leadership" (双重领导). In practice, the local government (including the local party committee, local people's government and the local public security bureau) carries more weight. However, there were many confusions and loopholes caused by this ambiguous organization structure.
In the mid and late 1990s, CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin significantly expanded and strengthened the PAP, with more than 100,000 new troops. Jiang praised the PAP, describing it as " a major force for maintaining state security and social stability, the People's Armed Police shoulders a massive and formidable burden" and deployed it extensively in Xinjiang and Tibet.
Up until 2013, the was a part of the PAP. In 2013, it was separated and transferred to the direct control of the Ministry of Public Security and the State Oceanic Administration. However, in March 2018, it was announced that the Coast Guard would be placed under the People's Armed Police Force once again since the State Oceanic Administration was disbanded, but now as an independent branch reporting directly to PAP headquarters.
Prior to the 2018 reform, the People's Armed Police was further divided into eight corps: Internal Guard, Gold, Forestry, Hydropower, Transportation, Border Defense, Firefighting, and Safeguard Corps. The Internal Guard Corps, which makes up for the bulk of PAP, is under the PAP Headquarters and reports thus to the party central committee and the CMC (Central Military Commission). The Gold, Forestry, Hydropower, and Transportation Corps, collectively known as the Specialist Corps, were by then under the joint leadership of PAP Headquarters and their respective ministries in the State Council. The Border Defense, Firefighting, and Guard Corps, collectively known as the Public Security Corps, were then under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
By law however, the PAP operates separately from the PLA. and, in terms of conducting public security operations and relevant capability building, the PAP Headquarters is under the leadership and command of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
From 1 January 2018, command of the People's Armed Police is jointly held by the CCP central committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), with the PAP no longer subordinate to the State Council.
The reform was reportedly carried out in order to deprive the local Chinese Communist Party authorities of the power to use the PAP units to commit abuses or against the leadership in Beijing, especially after the Wang Lijun incident in which the PAP was allegedly abused by provincial party secretary Bo Xilai to surround the US Consulate in Chongqing after a falling out with Wang Lijun, the police chief of Chongqing at the time. Under the 2018 reforms, local authorities now need central approval in order to deploy the PAP.
On 10 January 2018, the PAP received a new flag following the design of the branch flags of the PLA with three olive stripes at the bottom. The three olive stripes represents the People's Armed Police responsible for the three main tasks and force composition of maintaining national political security and social stability, maritime rights protection and law enforcement, and defense operations.
On 21 March 2018, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party unveiled a reform plan for the People's Armed Police Force as part of the deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions. Under this plan, the non-combatant elements of the PAP, the Gold, Forestry, Hydropower, Border Defense, Firefighting, and Guard Corps, are to be removed and the CCG is to be consolidated with PAP. As of March 2018, the PAP is working with the Central Committee and the relevant organs for the transfer of non-combatant elements into civil service. The Transportation Corps is the only remaining component of the Specialist Corps.
Until 2018, the Specialist Corps were responsible in constructing and maintaining highways and roads, surveying mineral deposits, fighting forest fires, and constructing large scale waterworks like dams and levees as well as for water works maintenance. The PAP is also called upon in emergency rescue and disaster relief operations within the PRC via the specialist and public security forces which can be forward deployed during such operations.
The Border Defense Corps and Guards Corps have been absorbed by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The Forestry Corps were merged with the (also known as the firefighting corps) of the MPS and reorganized as China Fire and Rescue (CF&R), it was placed under the Ministry of Emergency Management. The Gold Corps and Hydropower Corps have been transformed into state-owned enterprises under the supervision of the relevant State Council ministries (Ministry of Natural Resources and China National Gold Group Corporation and China Aneng Construction Corporation, respectively).
The People's Armed Police's primary mission is internal security. The Law on the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF), passed in August 2009, giving it statutory authority to respond to riots, terrorist attacks or other emergencies. Such units guard government buildings at all levels (including party and state organizations, foreign embassies and consulates), provide security to public corporations and major public events, as well as counter-terrorism and handling of public emergencies. Some units guard civilian prisons and provide executioners for the state. The PAP also maintains tactical counter-terrorism (CT) units such as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit and various Special Operations/Police units.
In the Chinese policing system, the PAP is tasked with managing protests (otherwise referred to as "mass incidents") and protecting important facilities and events, while public security police investigates crime and maintain public order. The PAP assists the regular police in high-risk operations, set up roadblocks and protects crime scenes. It also conducts preventive patrol under the leadership of the public security bureaus, sometimes in conjunction with them. When dealing with mass incidents and armed offenders, responsibility shifts to the People's Armed Police.
The PAP maintains units tasked with responding to any possible armed mutinies by PLA soldiers. In wartime deployments the PAP can assist the Ground Force and the Navy.
The People's Armed Police send personnel abroad to receive training or provide training and participates in counter-terrorism exercises, especially across Central Asia in bilateral and multilateral agreements. PAP special operations forces are also deployed in the Chinese embassies of Baghdad and Kabul for the purposes of protection of diplomatic staff and property.
Since 2011, the People's Armed Police has also conducted operations along the Mekong with the security forces of Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. These operations are aimed against organized crime.
Since 2014, the People's Republic of China established a security cooperation with Tajikistan and Afghanistan on Afghan border, near the Wakhan Corridor and in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The People's Armed Police is the main force for both bilateral and trilateral counterterrorism operations (mainly reconnaissance patrols in remote areas), being deployed south of Shaymak; the PAP has also conducted training for Tajik security forces.
The Border Defense Corps has also been deployed in UN Peacekeeping operations. Between 2006 and 2018, the Border Defense Corps was deployed in peacekeeping 10 times, with a total of 1325 officers being deployed for peacekeeping. This includes MINUSTAH, where out of eight Chinese peacekeeping deaths in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake three were Border Defense Corps officers. The Border Defense Corps was also deployed in UNMIL, where on October 28, 2017, where the 5th PAP Deployment to Liberia (part of the Guangxi Border Defense Corps) was awarded the "Liberia National Outstanding Contribution Award" by the Liberian Government.
| + !Commander !Took office !Left office !notice | |||
| Li Gang | January 1983 | October 1984 | |
| Li Lianxiu | October 1984 | January 1990 | |
| Zhou Yushu | January 1990 | December 1992 | |
| Ba Zhongtan | December 1992 | February 1996 | |
| Yang Guoping | February 1996 | December 1999 | |
| Wu Shuangzhan | December 1999 | December 2009 | |
| Wang Jianping | December 2009 | December 2014 | |
| Wang Ning | December 2014 | December 2020 | |
| Wang Chunning | December 2020 | July 2025 | |
| Cao Junzhang | July 2025 |
| + !Political Commissar !Took office !Left office !notice | |||
| Zhao Cangbi | January 1983 | July 1983 | |
| Liu Fuzhi | July 1983 | October 1984 | |
| Li Zhenjun | October 1984 | November 1985 | |
| Zhang Xiufu | November 1985 | January 1990 | |
| Xu Shouzeng | January 1990 | December 1992 | |
| Zhang Shutian | December 1992 | February 1996 | |
| Xu Yongqing | February 1996 | December 2003 | |
| Sui Mingtai | December 2003 | September 2007 | |
| Yu Linxiang | September 2007 | July 2010 | |
| Xu Yaoyuan | July 2010 | September 2014 | |
| Sun Sijing | December 2014 | January 2017 | |
| Zhu Shengling | January 2017 | March 2019 | |
| An Zhaoqing | March 2019 | January 2022 | |
| Zhang Hongbing | January 2022 | December 2025 |
New constables of the People's Armed Police are drawn from the general military conscription pool, but they are trained in the People's Armed Police basic training units.
According to Zi Yang, the state of the education and training system as of 2016 suffered of issues which negatively affected the quality of education.
Following adjustment and reorganization, the People's Armed Police is mainly composed of the territorial forces, the mobile forces, and the Coast Guard.
The People's Armed Police Headquarters, placed at Theater Command Grade, include five Departments directly under the Headquarters:
The mobile corps are mainly responsible for dealing with terrorism, violent crime, riots, and public security threats. The 1st Mobile Corps is based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, south of Beijing. The Corps covers northern and central China, including Beijing. The 2nd Mobile Corps is headquartered in Fuzhou, with units concentrated in Fujian and surrounding provinces along the coast (covering eastern and southern China).
The public security zǒngduì (s=总队) is the provincial formation. They are called "corps" by the PAP; Western analysts have used "contingent", "general corps", and "detachment". Most are corps deputy leader grade formations. The exceptions are the Beijing and Xinjiang corps which are corps leader grade; their subordinate entities, except for the logistics and equipment bureaus, are one grade higher than in the other corps. Hong Kong and Macau do not have corps. Corps have mobile detachments and duty detachments (p=zhíqín zhīduì).
Duty detachments protect government compounds and perform routine duties; they may exist because the CCP lacks confidence in the ability of local public security forces to handle "mass incidents".
Mobile police detachments (p=jīdòng zhīduì) are rapid reaction units roughly corresponding to PLAGF regiments or brigades. Some were existing corps mobile units before the reforms. Most were transferred from the disbanded mobile divisions. Most corps have one. In general, western provinces with large non-Han population have more than those in China's interior.
Corps are further subdivided at lower administrative levels. Regimental or brigade-level police detachments (p=zhīduì) are found in provinces, prefectures, and specifically designated cities. Battalions (p=dadui) are located in districts of the important cities and counties. Companies (p=zhōngduì) are found in counties. All corps have subordinate elementary command colleges.
Prior to 1984, the transportation corps was part of the .
The 7th Transportation Detachment assisted in disaster relief after the 2015 Tianjin explosions.
The 6th Detachment of the transportation corps deployed 105 officers and 48 vehicles for urban search and rescue duties during the 2015 Shenzhen landslide.
According to Joel Wuthnow, the Coast Guard Command within the People's Armed Police possibly is of Corps Leader Grade, led by a Commandant who is usually holding Major General (Rear Admiral) rank.
In June 2018, China Coast Guard was granted maritime rights and law enforcement akin civilian law enforcement agencies in order to carry out contrast of illegal activities, keep peace and order, as well as safeguarding security at sea, when performing duties related to the use of marine resources, protection of marine environment, regulation of fishery, and anti-smuggling.
The special operations units are tasked to carry out counter terrorism missions, riot control, anti-hijacking and bomb disposal.
Local special operations units receive Bomb disposal training, Fast-roping, counterinsurgency tactics, along with training in hostage rescue and hostage negotiation.
In addition, the 1st and 2nd Mobile Corps maintain a total of 5 Special Operations Detachments.
Municipal detachments each have their own Special Operations Company, which is typically placed under the municipal mobile battalion. Each provincial corps (p=Zǒngduì) establishes and maintains a special operations detachment as part of its own territorial organization. The provincial special operations detachment of the is the Mountain Eagle Commando Unit. In some provincial corps, the special operations unit is battalion or company sized and is placed under the mobile detachment.
The Mobile Detachment's 1st Special Operations Company is known as the "Sky Sword" unit (c=天剑突击队). It can trace its lineage back to the 7th Company, 3rd Battalion of the 28th Group Army's 84th Infantry Division's 251st Regiment which was involved in the Battle of Jinan and the Huaihai campaign. In its entire history, it was deployed to approximately 50 law enforcement/disaster relief operations, won gold or silver in 100+ competitions and was awarded first class meritorious service medals 1 time, 2nd class meritorious service medals 5 times and 3rd class meritorious service medals 12 times.
The Shenzhen Detachment's Special Operations Company is known as the "Wild Wolf" unit (c=野狼特战队). It was founded in 2005 and given the name in 2008.
The Jinan Detachment's Special Operations Company is known as the "Lightning Commando Unit" () it was founded in 2009 and only had 30 members at the start.
The Shenzhen Border Defense Detachment operated the (Nicknamed "Maritime "), a police tactical unit which is dedicated to maritime anti-terrorism, search and rescue, Frogman and VBSS.
| QSZ-92 | Semi-automatic pistol | Standard issue sidearm | |
| QCW-05 | Personal defense weapon | ||
| QCQ-171 | Submachine gun | ||
| QBZ-95 | Assault rifle | ||
| QBZ-191 | |||
| Norinco CQ | |||
| Type 81 | |||
| QBZ-03 | |||
| QBS-06 | Underwater assault rifle | Used by Snow Leopard Commando Unit | |
| QBS-09 | Shotgun | ||
| QBU-88 | Sniper rifle | ||
| Type 85 sniper rifle | |||
| Remington M700 | |||
| CS/LR4 | |||
| Type 69 RPG | |||
| PF-98 | Used by Snow Leopard Commando Unit | ||
| Used due to crossbows being more silent than firearms | |||
| QBB-95 | Light machine gun | ||
| Heavy machine guns | Heavy machine gun | ||
| Mortars | Mortar |
Drones and Mini UGVs are often used for recon.
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