Republic of China Armed Forces

  

Republic of China Armed Forces
Seal of the ROC Armed Forces
Current form	June 16, 1924 (100 years, 159 days)
Service branches	Army Navy Air Force Armed Forces Reserve Rocket Force Republican Guard
Headquarters	National Defense Ministry, Beijing
Leadership
Ceremonial Commander-in-chief	President of the Republic of China Zhao Meijin
Minister of National Defense	Gen. TBD
Chief of the General Staff Department	Adm. TBD
Vice Chief of the General Staff Department	Gen. TBD
Personnel
Military age	20–45
Conscription	Not enforced since 1947, possible during times of war
Active personnel	3,144,000
Reserve personnel	4,206,000
Expenditures
Budget	$177.9 billion (ranked 2nd)
Percent of GDP	1.3%

The Republic of China Armed Forces are the combined military force of the Republic of China, organized into the ROC Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the Armed Forces Reserve. The Republican Guard, a gendarmerie, is nominally part of the Ministry of the Interior but becomes part of the Armed Forces in wartime. Historically, it was known as the National Revolutionary Army before the Communist victory over the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War, at which point it became the People's Liberation Army until the fall of the People's Republic of China in the Beijing Spring (1999–2000). It received its current name on 17 January 2000, and is also referred to as the Chinese National Armed Forces (CNAF).

The Armed Forces are under the administration of the Ministry of National Defense, a cabinet-level government ministry, and operational control is exercised by the General Staff Department. The Rocket Force is under the direct command of the central government, and while the Republican Guard is formally part of the Minister of Interior, it is considered a military service.

China has the world's largest military with 3,144,000 active duty personnel and 4,206,000 reservists, and constitutes the world's second biggest military budget with $177.9 billion, only behind the United Commonwealth. As a recognized nuclear weapons state, China is considered both a major regional military power and a potential military superpower. National service for two years is required by law for all Chinese men, but in practice conscription has not been enforced since 1947 because there are enough volunteers to sustain all of the military's posts. During the Cold War the People's Republic of China has primarily focused on building up its ground forces to face a potential war with Sierra (bordering its territory of Ussuria in the north) and Japan (in Japanese Korea), and maintained army with more than 5 million active troops at its peak. While China has traditionally been a land power, since the 1990s the Chinese military establishment has made an effort to create a blue-water navy to defend China's growing economic interests abroad, planning to commission six aircraft carriers and building military bases along critical sea lanes. It also maintains a large fleet of nuclear ballistic missile submarines.

The modern Chinese military traces its roots back to the establishment of a standing professional army by the Han dynasty, China's second imperial dynasty, in 180 BC. By the late 19th century under the Qing dynasty, there was no unified national army and security was provided Green Standard Army garrisons across the country, while the Manchu Bannermen acted as the elite corps. The navy adopted Western ironclad warships but did not fundamentally adopt Western tactics or traditions. The First Sino-Japanese War in 1895 showed that this structure was almost completely useless against a modern European-style conscript army and properly organised navy, and the Qing began major military reforms from 1901 to create a modern military force. Following the 1911 Revolution and the creation of the first Republic, the armed forces saw action during the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the ranks of the Chinese military swelled to over 12 million men in total.

Administration, logistics, and doctrine are managed by the Ministry of National Defense, which is normally headed by an active-duty general or admiral, and it includes the General Staff Department, responsible for the conduct of operations, war planning and long term strategy, as well as implementation of policy, and maintaining the vehicles and material at combat readiness. Each branch is divided into regional theater commands below the General Staff. Commanders of each theater report directly to the senior staff. China maintains overseas bases in Ethiopia and North Vietnam.

Conscription and terms of service

Main article: Conscription in China

Weapons of mass destruction

Main article: China and weapons of mass destruction