The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

CHAPTER 6
THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY AND
CHINA’S INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGES
INTRODUCTION
Harold M. Tanner
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has not seen
combat since its brief “punitive war” against Vietnam
in 1979. 1 In the 30 years since, and particularly
since the mid-1990s, the PLA has undergone substantial
modernization, reorganization, and training. But
while they have been trained and equipped for war,
China’s soldiers have been deployed time and again
not to fight external enemies, but to respond to internal
security issues such as natural disasters, violent
mass demonstrations, or “mass incidents,” and episodes
of ethnic unrest.
In prosecuting these “military operations other
than war” (MOOTW), the PLA works in cooperation
with the People’s Armed Police (PAP), the militia, and
the reserves. As these forces carry out internal security
operations, their mutual relations and responsibilities
develop and are clarified, strengths and weaknesses
are revealed and addressed, and lessons are drawn,
both for the Chinese military and for civilian government
officials. For PLA and PAP officers, MOOTW,
particularly emergency response and disaster relief
operations, involve sudden deployment in challenging
environmental conditions (flood, extreme cold, earthquake
zones, fire zones, and scenes of chemical spills
for example). Response often requires rapid decision-
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