Editing People's Armed Police (section)

=== People's Armed Police Force ===
After numerous reorganizations and transfers of control between the PLA and the MPS, the People's Armed Police was created on 19 June 1982, combining the previous armed police, [[border guard]]s and [[fire brigade]]s.<ref name="Xia2017"/> The headquarter was set up in the MPS as a subordinate department.<ref>{{cite web |last1=张 |first1=海华 |title=武警部队历史沿革 - 中国军网 |url=http://www.81.cn/2016wujing/2016-03/06/content_6944527.htm |publisher=中国军网 |access-date=1 February 2023 |date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229052139/http://www.81.cn/2016wujing/2016-03/06/content_6944527.htm |archive-date=2017-12-29 }}</ref> The establishment of the PAP highlighted the efforts to increase the professionalization of the security apparatus, as well as the absorption of numerous PLA demobilized personnel,<ref name="Guo2012">{{cite book |title = China's security state : philosophy, evolution, and politics |last = Guo |first = Xuezhi |publisher = Cambridge University Press, Aug |year=2012 |isbn = 9781107688841 |location = Cambridge |oclc = 874118926 }}</ref>{{rp|228–229}} in the wake of growing unrest.<ref name="Guo2012" />{{rp|229}} The PAP was officially founded on April 5, 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Jiaoying |date=2016-04-05 |title=历史上的今天4.5：武警成立 |trans-title=Today in history April 5 - the establishment of the PAP |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com//mil/2016-04/05/c_128863571.htm |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Xinhua News Agency}}</ref>

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 of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary]] [[Jiang Zemin]] significantly expanded and strengthened the PAP, with more than 100,000 new troops.<ref name="Eckholm1999">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/28/world/a-secretive-army-grows-to-maintain-order-in-china.html |title=A Secretive Army Grows to Maintain Order in China |last=Eckholm |first=Erik |date=28 March 1999 |work=The New York Times |access-date=25 June 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=4 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304195100/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/28/world/a-secretive-army-grows-to-maintain-order-in-china.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 Autonomous Region|Tibet]].<ref name="Eckholm1999" />

Up until 2013, the Border Defense Coast Guard was a part of the PAP. In 2013, it was separated and transferred to the direct control of the [[Ministry of Public Security (China)|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.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/china-s-coast-guard-is-now-a-military-police-unit |title=China's Coast Guard is Now a Military Police Unit |date=2018-03-21 |work=The Maritime Executive |access-date=2019-10-04 |language=en |archive-date=2019-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815080140/https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/china-s-coast-guard-is-now-a-military-police-unit |url-status=live }}</ref>