Editing People's Armed Police (section)

=== 2017–2018 Reform ===
Until 31 December 2017, the People's Armed Police had a dual command structure including the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]] through the [[Ministry of Public Security (China)|Ministry of Public Security]] (MPS).<ref name="Blasko2006" />{{rp|18}}

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.<ref name="Guo2012" />{{rp|232}} 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.<ref name="Guo2012" />{{rp|232}} 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).<ref name="Guo2012" />{{rp|232}}

By law however, the PAP operates separately from the PLA.<ref name="Blasko2006"/>{{rp|18}} 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 [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP central committee]] and the Central Military Commission (CMC), with the PAP no longer subordinate to the State Council.<ref name="CD28Dec17">{{cite news |last=Zhao |first=Lei |title=Command of Armed Police Force to be unified - Chinadaily.com.cn |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201712/28/WS5a441fa5a31008cf16da3d96.html |access-date=26 January 2018 |newspaper=China Daily |date=28 December 2017 |archive-date=26 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185235/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201712/28/WS5a441fa5a31008cf16da3d96.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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|Wang]], the police chief of Chongqing at the time. Under the 2018 reforms, local authorities now need central approval in order to deploy the PAP.<ref name="SCMP28Dec17">{{cite news |last = Zhou |first = Viola |title = Why China's armed police will only take orders from Xi's army elite |url = http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2126039/reason-why-chinas-armed-police-will-now-only-take |access-date = 26 January 2018 |newspaper = South China Morning Post |date = 28 December 2017 |archive-date = 27 January 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180127011354/http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2126039/reason-why-chinas-armed-police-will-now-only-take |url-status = live }}</ref>

On 10 January 2018, the PAP received a new flag following the design of the branch flags of the [[People's Liberation Army|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.gov.cn/topnews/2018-01/10/content_4802151.htm|title=国防部新闻发言人吴谦就武警部队旗寓意答问|date=2018-01-10|publisher=[[Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China]]|access-date=2018-01-10|archive-date=2020-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004005022/http://www.mod.gov.cn/topnews/2018-01/10/content_4802151.htm}}</ref>

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]].<ref name="Jamestown24Mar16PAP">{{cite web |last1=Zi |first1=Yang |title=Party plan for reform unveiled - China Daily |url=http://www.ecns.cn/2018/03-22/296669.shtml |website=ECNS.cn |access-date=21 March 2018 |date=22 March 2018 |archive-date=22 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322073807/http://www.ecns.cn/2018/03-22/296669.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Ni2018">{{cite news |url = http://www.bjnews.com.cn/inside/2018/04/06/482152.html |title = 武警改革的出与进: 八大警种瘦身健体 |last = Ni |first = Wei |date = 2018-04-06 |newspaper = The Beijing News |access-date = 2018-06-19 |trans-title = The Coming and Going of the PAP Reform: Eight Corps Slimming Down |archive-date = 2018-06-19 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180619163903/http://www.bjnews.com.cn/inside/2018/04/06/482152.html |url-status = live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Ni2018" /> 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 <ref name="Wuthnow2019" /> waterworks like dams and levees as well as for water works maintenance.<ref name="CAPF" /> 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.<ref name="CAPF" />

==== Organizational changes ====
With the 2018 reforms, Specialist Corps other than the Transportation Corps have been placed under other ministries. China Coast Guard (CCG) was transferred from State Council to PAP command, and the Transportation Corps has some units under the Mobile Contingents.<ref name="Wuthnow2019" />{{rp|15}}

The Border Defense Corps and Guards Corps have been absorbed by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The Forestry Corps were merged with the {{Ill|China Fire Services|zh|公安消防部队}} (also known as the firefighting corps) of the [[Ministry of Public Security (China)|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 of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Natural Resources]] and [[China National Gold Group Corporation]] and China Aneng Construction Corporation, respectively).<ref name="Wuthnow2019" />{{rp|15}}<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Runping |first=Yao |date=2018-03-23 |title=致敬！再见了公安边防、消防、警卫，武警黄金、森林、水电 |trans-title=Salutations! Goodbye to the border defense, MPS firefighting corps, MPS guard corps, PAP gold, forestry and hydropower corps |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-03/23/c_129835969.htm |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=[[Xinhua News Agency]]}}</ref>