Republic of China Military Police
| Republic of China Military Police | |
|---|---|
|
中華民國憲兵 Zhōnghuá Mínguó Xiànbīng (Mandarin) | |
 Emblem of the Republic of China Military Police | |
| Active | 1914 |
| Country |
 China |
| Type | Military police |
| Role |
Law enforcement Internal security Counter-terrorism Disaster response |
| Size | 75,000 (2023) |
| Part of |
 Republic of China Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Beijing, Zhili, China |
| Anniversaries | December 12 |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-chief |
 President Zhao Meijin |
| Commander of the ROCMP | Lt Gen Qin Keqiang |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |
 |
The Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP, Chinese: 中華民國憲兵; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Xiànbīng) is a military police body and semi-autonomous formation under the Republic of China Army (ROCA) that serves as their law enforcement arm and as the official standing military police force and gendarmerie of China. It is responsible for military-focused law enforcement, counter-terrorism, disaster relief and internal security within the Republic of China and function similar to those of internal troops in Eastern European and Central Asian countries. Between 1949 and 2000, it was known as the People's Armed Police under the People's Republic of China and was under the control of the Chinese Communist Party until the Beijing Spring of 1999–2000 before being restored in January 2000 along with the rest of the modern Chinese National Armed Forces.
Other responsibilities of the ROCMP is the protection of government and military officials from abduction and assassination, the protection of China's strategic facilities, and counter-intelligence against any and all foreign spies, infiltrators, and saboteurs. Since 2014, the ROCMP has gone under major expansion in its size due to the ongoing conflict between China and Manchuria, having around 75,000 total personnel as of June 2023 according to current estimates.
History
Warlords Era
The Republic of China Military Police date back to 1914 when the provisional president of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, took office in Guangzhou and established the unit due to the need for an internal security unit to enforce military discipline among the rank and file troops who were loyal to the provisional Chinese Republican Government. They would be formally named as the Military Police and would expand gradually to become the modern day Republic of China Military Police. In 1925, the military police expanded from a single compant to a full-fledged battalion under general Chiang Kai-shek and would be attatched to forces assigned to the Northern Expedition against the regional warlords in the following year. Both during and after the Northern Expedition, the military police continued to expand into several regiments and was active in the puring of communist political elements within the Nationalist Government.
Second Sino-Japanese War
During the Second Sino-Japanese War against the Empire of Japan, the Chinese Military Police fought against Japanese forces at numerous points despite not beign properly trained nor equipped for such a task as part of the wider Chinese war effort. Notable engagements included the January 28 incident in Shanghai and the defense of the Chinese capital of Nanking alongside units of the National Revolutionary Army and put up fierce resistance against the invading Japanese forces, but also suffered heavy casualties throughout the war. Throughout the war, the Military Police were instrumental in several operations against the Japanese behind enemy lines and continued to expand under the direction of the Nationalist Government and military. During the war, the Military Police was part of the United Front, a coalition and military alliance between the ruling Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party, as part of a unified effort to resist Japanese imperialism and fought alongside and in support of communist units, however their pre-war task of preventing communist influence within the government remained and carried out such tasks whenever possible and deemed necessary during the war.
Chinese Civil War
Communist era
Modern history
Organization
The Military Police Command Headquarters is the central headquarters of the ROCMP and is subordinated to the General Staff Department and the Ministry of National Defense. The Commander of the ROCMP is the head of the MPCHQ, and is assisted by the Deputy Commander and the Command Headquarters Chief of Staff. There are several direct reporting units under the Command Headquarters, but the majority assigned to one of the fifteen regional MP commands. There are thirty MP battalions assigned to Army bases, and three battalions each for naval and air bases.
- Republic of China Military Police Command (中華民國國防部憲兵指揮部)
- Military Police Regional Commands (x15)
- Military Police Armor Division
- Military Police Artillery Division
- Military Police Battalions (x30)
- Military Police Security Squadrons of the Air Force (x3)
- Naval Security Military Police Battalions (x3)
- Forensic Science Center
Military Police Special Services Battalion- Military Prison Directorate
- Political Discipline Directorate
- Logistics Directorate
- Education Directorate
- Republic of China Military Police Academy
- Republic of China Military Police Command Academy
- Republic of China Military Police Engineering and Logistics Academy
- Republic of China Military Police Academy
Ranks
Banners
Gendarmerie regiment-level unit flag
Gendarmerie regiment-level unit flag
Gendarmerie regiment-level unit flag
Military police unit flag
Military police unit flag
Military police unit flag
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
