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PLA General Political Department
The General Political Department (GPD) is the political department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the leading organisation of the PLA in party and political matters. It is responsible for ideological education, cadre personnel, party affair, security, discipline, propaganda, military-civilian relations, and servicemen warfare. It also directly manages the PLA Military Court and PLA Military Procuratorate, as well as a number of media, cultural, sport, and recreational organisations. The GPD ranks the second among the four general headquarters in PLA’s protocol order.
The GPD is headed by a Director, who is assisted by four Deputy Directors and two Director Assistants. The current GPD director is General LI Jinai (李继耐), who was appointed the position in September 2004. The 5th most senior uniformed officer in the PLA, he is also the Party secretary of the GPD, a member of the CMC, and a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s central committee.
Organisational Structure
The GPD consists of several functional departments (known as second-level department), which are further subdivided into bureaus.
General Office (办公厅)
The General Office serves the headquarters function for the GPD. It is headed by a secretary-general (秘书长) and a deputy secretary-general. Its subordinate organisations include: Secretary Bureau (秘书局), Judicial Bureau (司法局), and Mass Work Office (群众工作办公室).
Cadre Department (干部部)
The Cadre Department oversees the cadre personnel management in the PLA. It is responsible for planning and policymaking on cadre personnel affairs; evaluating the performance of senior officers and approving on their promotion, demotion, transfer, and retirement; managing the officer rank-awarding scheme; overseeing the personnel affairs on civilian cadres and employees serving in the PLA; cadet recruiting, education, and graduates allocation in military and civilian schools; selecting officers to study abroad; managing the cadre salary and benefit scheme; overseeing the cadre personnel management in the reserve forces.
The subordinate organs of the Cadre Department include the Training Bureau (培训局), Reserve Cadre Bureau (预备干部局), Salary and Benefits Bureau (工资福利局), Technical and Civilian Cadre Bureau (科技文职干部局), Veteran Cadre Bureau (老干部局), and Military School Bureau (院校局).
Organisation Department (组织部)
The Organisation Department oversees Party organs and affairs in the PLA. It is responsible for drafting regulations on party affairs and political work in the PLA; organising the election of Party representatives within the PLA for the CCP’s National Congress; overseeing the education and recruiting of Party members within the PLA; directing the operations of the Communist Youth League and Women’s League in the PLA.
The subordinate organs of the Organisation Department include the Organisation Bureau (组织局), Youth Bureau (青年局), and Party Affairs Bureau (党务局).
Propaganda Department (宣传部)
The Propaganda Department oversees the propaganda and political education affairs in the PLA. It is responsible for planning and drafting principles for the propaganda and political education work; directing the theoretical researches and teaching of communism ideology in military schools; organising the reports of important political campaigns, events, and examples by the military media.
The subordinate organs of the Propaganda Department include the Press and Publication Bureau (新闻出版局), Culture and Arts Bureau (文化艺术局), Culture and Sports Bureau (文化体育局), Forces Propaganda Bureau (部队宣传局), Forces Education Bureau (部队教育局).
Liaison Department (联络部)
The Liaison Department is responsible for affecting the political attitudes and opinions of enemy personnel. During the Chinese Civil War, the CCP successfully persuaded a large number of Kuomintang officials and military personnel to defect to its side through a vast network of secret agents. This network was kept after the war and evolved into the Liaison Departments in the CCP and PLA.
Today, the Liaison Departments is responsible for instigating enemy personnel and influencing their political opinions and attitudes; collecting and analysing intelligence on social, political, and demographic situations in foreign countries; carrying out research and directing troops training on psychological warfare. The primary target for the Liaison Department is Taiwan, but it may also target other foreign countries and regions.
The GPD Liaison Department is headed by a director and two deputy directors. Its internal structure is unknown.
Security Department (保卫部)
The Security Department is responsible for criminal investigation and counterintelligence roles in the PLA. Some of its responsibilities include drafting policies and regulations on security issues within the PLA; directing and coordinating crime-prevention work in the PLA; directing the security and counterintelligence operations; overseeing the criminal investigations in the PLA; and safeguarding key targets, personnel, and military prisons.
The subordinate organs of the Security Department include the Security Bureau (保卫局), Reconnaissance Bureau (侦察局), and Criminal Investigation Bureau (刑侦局).
Discipline Inspection Department (纪律检查部)
The Discipline Inspection Department, along with the CMC’s Discipline Inspection Commission, oversees the discipline inspection system in the PLA. It monitors the actions of Party organisations and Party members and maintain Party discipline in the PLA. It also has the power to directly investigate corruption cases involving high-rank officers.
The subordinate organ of the Discipline Inspection Department includes the Discipline Inspection Bureau (纪律检查局).
Directly-Subordinate Organisation Department (直属工作部)
The Directly-Subordinate Organisation Department is tasked with the management of all organisations directly organic to the GPD, including the PLA Daily Newspaper, Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution, PLA Art College, August 1st Film Studio, PLA Publishing House, PLA Pictorial Magazine, PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House, PLA Song and Dance Ensemble, PLA Opera Ensemble, PLA Play Ensemble, PLA Band, PLA “August 1st” Sports Team, PLA Branch of the Xinhua News Agency, Military Department of the China Central Television (CCTV), and Military Department of the China National Radio.
The subordinate organs of the Directly-Subordinate Organisation Department include the Comprehensive Bureau (综合局) and Management and Supply Bureau (管理保障局).
Legal Bureau (法制局)
The Legal Bureau is responsible for dealing with legal affairs and promoting the rule of law in the PLA.
PLA Military Court (解放军军事法院)
The PLA Military Court is the highest-level of court in the military judicial system.
PLA Military Procuratorate (解放军军事检察院)
The PLA Military Procuratorate is the highest-level of procuratorate in the military judicial system.
Last update: 24 August 2008 |
