China: Information on whether it was possible for an individual to be a part-time People's Militia soldier in the period 1974 to 1982
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CHN14969 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: Information on whether it was possible for an individual to be a part-time People's Militia soldier in the period 1974 to 1982, 1 August 1993, CHN14969, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac9848.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A representative of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China provided the following information on the above subject during a telephone interview on 20 August 1993. People's Militia units are formed when there is a military threat to China and are disbanded once the threat is over; militia units were formed along the border with the USSR during the Sino-Soviet conflict (1960s to 1980s). Militia units are usually formed in the countryside. At the lowest government level, the county level, the People's Militia departments of township governments mobilize and train volunteers who continue their regular activities such as farming while they function as part-time soldiers. There may be militia units in certain areas of China at the present time.
A representative of Asia Watch in New York states that it is possible for a person to be a part-time member of the People's Militia (20 Aug. 1993). The attached pages of China: A Country Study provide information on the militia.
Additional and/or corroborating information on the above subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB.
References
Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Ottawa. 20 August 1993. Telephone interview with representative.
Asia Watch, New York. 20 August 1993. Telephone interview with representative.
Attachment
China: A Country Study. 1987. Edited by Robert L. Worden, Andrea Maltes Savada and Ronald E. Dolan. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army.
