The South China Morning Post also reported (December 15) that large scale promotions have taken place in China's People's Armed Police Force (PAPF). One new Lieutenant General and 36 Major Generals were appointed last week. Former PLA Major General Gao Wei who was transferred to the PAPF in October 2019, was promoted as Lieutenant General and is the Director of the Political Work Department of the PAPF. The Major Generals are mostly the PAPF provincial chiefs, the top commanders of the China Coast Guard and the leaders of armed police academies. At the end of last year, 22 new Major Generals were promoted to act as provincial and departmental heads.The changes are part of broader reforms, which included bringing the paramilitary forces under CMC and moving the force out of the control of the local government. Chen Daoyin, a Shanghai-based political analyst, was quoted as saying “This suggests the PAP leadership shift and internal reorganisation over the past two years has reached a milestone. The absolute leadership must be carried out through people’s work, that’s why batches of new cadres are being appointed and promoted”. The force, formally established in 1983, will now be focused on homeland security, preventing social instability, emergency response, counterterrorism and maritime law enforcement. He said that the reform was designed to strengthen the control of the Party and guarantee the absolute authority of the Central Military Commission chaired by Xi Jinping.
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