Russia and China put on a show of force in military exercise. The People's Liberation Army (PLA; simplified Chinese: 中国人民解放军; traditional Chinese: 中國人民解放軍; pinyin: Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn) is the military of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the leadership of the CPC. August 1 is celebrated annually as Chinese Workers and Farmers Red Army Day. The PLA consists of four professional service branches: the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, the People's Liberation Army Navy, the People's Liberation Army Air Force and the Second Artillery Corps. The PLA is the world's largest military force, with a strength of approximately 2,285,000 personnel, 0.18% of the country's population. The People's Liberation Army's insignia consists of a roundel with a red star bearing the Chinese characters for Eight One, referring to August 1 (Chinese: 八一). The PLA is under the command of the Central Military Commission of the CPC. The Ministry of National Defense, which operates under the State Council, does not exercise any authority over the PLA and is far less powerful than the Central Military Commission (CMC).[citation needed] A system of political officers embedded within the military assures party authority over the armed forces, so that the primary role of the Ministry of Defense is that of a liaison office with foreign militaries. The political and military leadership have made a concerted effort to create a professional military force restricted to national defense and to the provision of assistance in domestic economic construction and emergency relief. This conception of the role of the PLA requires the promotion of specialized officers who can understand modern weaponry and handle combined arms operations. Troops around the country are stationed in seven military regions and more than 20 military districts. Military service is compulsory by law; however, compulsory military service in China has never been enforced due to large numbers of volunteers from China's population. In times of national emergency, the People's Armed Police and the People's Liberation Army Militia act as a reserve and support element for the PLA, primarily for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force. Motto Serve the People Founded August 1, 1927 Service branches PLA Ground Force PLA Navy PLA Air Force Second Artillery Corps People's Armed Police Leadership Leaders of Central Military Commission Xi Jinping (Chairman) General Fan Changlong (Vice-chairman) General Xu Qiliang (Vice-chairman) Minister of National Defense General Chang Wanquan Chief of PLA General Staff General Fang Fenghui Manpower Military age 18–49 Available for military service 385,821,101 males, age 15–49, 363,789,674 females, age 15–49 Fit for military service 318,265,016 males, age 15–49, 300,323,611 females, age 15–49 Reaching military age annually 10,406,544 males, 9,131,990 females Active personnel 2,285,000 active[1] Reserve personnel 800,000 reserve[1] 1,500,000 CAPF[1] Expenditures Budget US $132 billion (2014)[2] (ranked 2nd) Percent of GDP 1.4% (2014 est.) Industry Domestic suppliers Aviation Industry Corporation of China China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Norinco China South Industries Group China State Shipbuilding Corporation China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation China National Nuclear Corporation China Electronics Technology Group China Nuclear Engineering Group[3] Foreign suppliers Ukraine Russia[4][5] Annual exports Indonesia Cambodia Malaysia Venezuela Pakistan Bangladesh Singapore Turkmenistan Sudan Eritrea Kyrgyzstan Organization[edit] National military command[edit] The state military system upholds the principle of the CPC's absolute leadership over the armed forces. The party and the State jointly established the CMC that carries out the task of supreme military leadership over the armed forces. The 1954 Constitution stated that the State President directs the armed forces and made the State President the chair of the Defense Commission (the Defense Commission is an advisory body, it does not lead the armed forces). On 28 September 1954, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party re-established the CMC as the leader of the PLA and the armed forces. From that time onwards, the system of joint system of party and state military leadership was established. The Central Committee of the Communist Party leads in all military affairs. The State President directs the state military forces and the development of the military forces managed by the State Council. In order to ensure the absolute leadership of the Communist Party over the armed forces, every level of party committee in the military forces implements the principles of democratic centralism, the divisions and higher levels establish political commissars and political organizations, and ensures that the branch organizations are in line.

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