PLA History - 1990s

The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Military Installations was ratified in the 12th session of the Standing Committee of the 7th National People's Congress on February 23, 1990. In order to poor more excellent people for the PLA, the Education Committee of the Chinese People's Republic and the General Political Department of the PLA jointly promulgated in April, 1990 the Decisions on the Recruitment of High School Graduates by Military Academies. On April 6, 1990, the Central Military Commission promulgated the Regulations of the PLA on the Military Training. On April 12, 1990, the Central Military Commission promulgated the Provisions on the Management of Weapons and Armaments of the PLA. On June 9, 1990, the Central Military Commission promulgated the amended regulations on routine service, discipline and formation.

Marshal Xu Xiangqian passed away on September 21, 1990. Born in Wutai County of Shanxi Province on November 8, 1901, Marshal Xu ever assumed the office of member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, vice premier and defense minister.

On December 6, 1990, the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council ratified the first batch of military institutions authorized to confer master's degree of military science. Upon the approval of the Central Military Commission, the new Regulations of the PLA on Political Work was promulgated in January 1991. In February, 1991, the Provisional Regulations on Capital Construction Auditing of the PLA was promulgated. This was the first statutory document on the capital construction auditing of the PLA.

On April 24, 1991, the spokesman of the PLA troop units garrisoning Fujian Province declared under orders that from that very day, all the wired broadcast stations and affiliated sub-stations should cease broadcasting call to the Kuomintang troops stationed on the Jinmen island and other islets, so as to further ease up the situations across the Taiwan Strait.

Upon the approval of the State Council and the Central Military Commission, the National "Double Supports" Work (supporting the government and cherish the people; supporting the army and giving preferential treatment to families of servicemen and martyrs) Leading Group was officially established in July 1991. The members of the group consist of leaders of related departments and commissions of the CPC Central Committee and central government, PLA general headquarters/departments and the Armed Police Force. On February 20, 1992, the Provisional Regulations on Garrison Duty Service of the PLA promulgated.

Marshal Nie Rongzhen passed away on May 14, 1992. Nie Rongzhen, born in Jiangjin County of Sichuan Province in 1899, was ever the member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, vice premier and concurrently the director of the National Science Commission.

The first award-giving meeting of the PLA for the outstanding military scientific research achievements held in Beijing on July 28, 1992. a total of 148 research fruits won prizes. The Regulations of the Chinese People's Liberation Army on the Military Service of Soldiers in Active Service promulgated on April 27, 1993. The military rank grades of non-commissioned officers were added into the revised Regulations. On July 22, 1994, the National "Double Supports" (supporting the government and cherish the people; supporting the army and giving preferential treatment to families of servicemen and martyrs) Model City (County) naming meeting was held in Beijing. At the meeting, the title of National Double Supports Model City (County) was given to 136 cities (districts) and counties. The State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly made a decision on October 26, 1994 that the placement policy for demobilized servicemen was revised in some important issues as of winter of 1994.

On May 10, 1995, the 13th session of the Standing Committee of the 8th National People's Congress ratified the Reserve Officers Law of the People's Republic of China. The Central Military Commission authorized to promulgate the newly revised Regulations on the Political work of the PLA on May 10, 1995. From July 21 to 26, the PLA conducted in the high seas of the East China Sea ground-to-ground missile launch exercise in which the 6 missiles all hit the targets in the designated sea area. The Central Military Commission held a grand symposium attended by veterans from the troop units stationed in Beijing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

The Regulations of the PLA on Surveying and Mapping was promulgated on January 10, 1996. This is the first basic statute made by the PLA to regularize military surveying and mapping activities. On February 28, 1996, the Ordinance of the PLA on POL promulgated. This is the first basic statute of the PLA on the criterions of POL work. The Central Military Commission issued the newly revised Regulations of the PLA on Secrecy on March 24, 1996. the new regulations made an adjustment on the scope of military secrecy and supplemented provisions on foreign exchange, academic exchange and technology security and secrecies as well as secrecy education and supervision. On April 26, 1996, the presidents of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed an official agreement in Shanghai on strengthening military trust in border areas.

Deng Xiaoping died in Beijing on 19 February 1997 at the age of 93. On July 31, 1997, a grand rally marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was held in Beijing.

In early February 1998, the Military Training Information Network of the PLA covering all the major units of the PLA and some military academies was basically formed. On April 3, 1998, the General Armaments Department (GAD) of the PLA was set up. The establishment of the GAD, the leading body of the armaments management and development of the PLA, put an end to the three general headquarters/departments system (the General Staff Headquarters, the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department) lasting 40 years.

President Jiang Zemin signed on Dec. 30 the No. 13 Order of the President of the People's Republic of China to publish the Decision on Revising the Military Service Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on December 29, 1998. According to the Decision, the term of service for conscripts was shortened from 3 years to 2 years and the practice of extension of service was also abolished.

In early February 1999, the General Staff Headquarters, the General Political Department, the General Logistics Department and the General Armaments Department of the PLA jointly awarded the medals of first-class unit in military training to 12 units at division and brigade level of the PLA Air Force. It was the first time in the history of the PLA to conduct the assessment of top class units in military training at division and brigade level, marking the gradual perfection of the military training examination and assessment system of the PLA.

According to an order signed by Chairman of the Central Military Commission Jiang Zemin on April 26, 1999, the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) incorporated with another three military academies located in Changsha to form a new National University of Defense Technology. A grand rally marking the establishment of the new NUDT was held in Changsha on June 18. The enlarged NUDT was entrusted with the missions of producing high-level professionals in scientific research and engineering technology and high-level commanding officers for the PLA, training high-ranking leading officers of the PLA, and working at research of advanced weapons and equipment and key national defense technologies.

In early September 1999, troops from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Second Artillery Force in the Nanjing and Guangzhou War Theatres, militia and reserve forces in the two war theatres launched a large-scale joint sea-crossing and landing exercise involving actual troops of multi-services and arms in the east Zhejiang and south Guangdong coastal areas.

On the morning of October 1, a grand rally celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held in the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. Jiang Zemin, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the square formations formed by servicemen from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the reserve force of the PLA, the Armed Police Force and militiamen.