The Chinese people’s militia: Transformation and strategic role

This chapter analyzes the nature of the controversies, describes the institutional arrangements associated with the proponents of different views of the militia, and attempts to predict the role of the militia in China’s future defense policy. The media of the People’s Republic of China regularly criticize discredited Chinese leaders for having disparaged the value of the militia. The Chinese militia is a paramilitary organization with both wartime and peacetime functions. In peacetime, the militia’s roles center on providing a leading force for the increase of production and as an aid to public security work. Although the militia is a paramilitary organization, the units into which it is divided bear little resemblance in size or organization to the corresponding People’s Liberation Army units. The controversies over the proper size, organization, and role of the militia have led to frequent shifts in policy that have had an enormous impact on the militia.