The Central Guard Corps (; The People's Liberation Army 61889 Corps) is a military protective service agency under the
Central Military Commission charged with protecting Chinese political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government.
[Pollpeter and Allen (ed.): p. 282.][Guo: pg. 106]
The Central Guard Corps has used multiple
military unit cover designators. It was known as the 8341 Corps during
Mao Zedong's era, the 57003 Corps in 1976–2000, and the 61889 Corps after 2000.
[Guo: p. 176.]
History
First formation
During much of the 1930s the
Chinese Communist Party's main internal security organization was the State Political Security Bureau (SPSB). It was created after
Mao Zedong was dismissed as general political commissar
of the First Front Army in November 1931. The SPSB was created by absorbing existing organizations, taking over protection of senior CCP members and the
secret police roles. The SPSB included a Political Security Regiment and two Brigades of State Political Security for protection duties.
[Guo: pg. 140-142]
After effectively assuming party leadership after 1935
Zunyi Conference
The Zunyi Conference () was a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1935 during the Long March. This meeting involved a power struggle between the leadership of Bo Gu and Otto Braun and the opposition led by Mao Zedong. The r ...
, Mao worked to wrestle control of the security apparatus from the party by undermining the SPSB; SPSB forces were reduced, and Mao's supporters moved into party and SPSB leadership positions. In 1938, Mao created a new security unit, the Central Guard Training Brigade (CGTB). The CGTB was formally commanded by three non-SPSB organizations and was organizationally subordinated to a fourth, the Central Revolutionary Military Committee; Mao chaired the committee and, through it, controlled the brigade.
[Guo: pg. 142-144]
In October 1942, the CGTB was expanded into the Central Guard Regiment. At the end of the
Second World War, a third of the Central Guard Corps was split off to create a protection unit for the CCP advance into
Manchuria.
[Guo: pg. 147] In the following continuation of the
Chinese Civil War, the Central Guard Corps protected the
Central Committee
Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party organizations, the c ...
and PLA Headquarters. Mao exerted indirect control through
Wang Dongxing
Wang Dongxing (; 9 January 1916 – 21 August 2015) was a Chinese military commander and politician, famous for being the chief of Mao Zedong's personal bodyguard force, the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (which included the ''8 ...
, head of the Guard Bureau under the
Central Secretariat.
[Guo: pg. 149]
The CCP's forces were reorganized in July 1949 with the security component becoming the
Ministry of Public Security's (MPS) Chinese People's Public Security Forces (CPPSF),
[Guo: pg. 148] being renamed as the PLA Public Security Forces (PLAPSF) in September 1950.
[Guo: pg. 155] The Central Column of the CPPSF was created in August 1949 to protect the new capital of
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...
and the party leadership;
in September 1949 the Central Guard Corps was expanded into the 2nd Division of the Central Column.
[Guo: pg. 151] The reorganization was part of an effort to professionalize Chinese security forces by
Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen (; December 29, 1899 – May 14, 1992) was a prominent Chinese Communist military leader, and one of ten Marshals in the People's Liberation Army of China. He was the last surviving PLA officer with the rank of Marshal.
Biography ...
and
Luo Ruiqing
Luo Ruiqing (; May 31, 1906 – August 3, 1978), formerly romanized as Lo Jui-ch'ing, was a Chinese army officer and politician, general of the People's Liberation Army. He created the People's Republic of China's security and police appara ...
, but it removed the Central Guard Corps from Mao's influence and reduced Mao's influence in security;
[Guo: pg. 152] Luo was Minister of Public Security.
[Guo: pg. 150] Nie and Luo subsequently had poorer relationships with Mao.
[Guo: pg. 152-154]
Second formation
Mao created a new Central Guard Corps in May 1953. The Central Guard Corps was separating from the PLAPSF and subordinated to the party's CGB. Wang, leading the CGB, was again Mao's conduit of control.
[Guo: pg. 126] The PLA formally controlled the Central Guard Corps, but in practice it only provided logistical and recruitment support. Similarly, while the CGB was simultaneously the MPS's 9th Bureau, in practice the MPS exercised no control. Therefore, Mao appointed commanders, and set recruiting criteria that favored poor or lower-middle-class peasants.
[Guo: pg. 155-156]
In 1959,
Minister of National Defense
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
Peng Dehuai, acting on a poor relationship with Mao, attempted to remove the Central Guard Corps from Mao's control by subordinating it to the Beijing Garrison Command (BGC). It was unsuccessful because the Central Guard Corps only drew logistical support. Peng was subsequently purged at the 1959
Lushan Conference
The Lushan Conference was a meeting of the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held between July and August 1959. The CCP Politburo met in an "expanded session" (''Kuoda Huiyi'') between July 2 and August 1, followed by the 8th Plen ...
, and the Central Guard Corps was resubordinated to the PLA GSD in 1960.
[Guo: pg. 156-157] The PLA commanded the Central Guard Corps for a few years while Wang attended the
Central Party School
The Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party (), commonly known as the Central Party School (), located in Beijing, is the higher education institution which trains Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadres. As of 2012, it has around 1,60 ...
and served as
Jiangxi
Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north into ...
's deputy governor.
[Guo: pg. 157-158]
Mao strengthened his control over security in preparation for the
Cultural Revolution, which included placing Wang in greater positions of authority. In September 1960, Wang was transferred back to Beijing to lead a purge of the CGB and Central Guard Corps; in April 1964, he took over the MPS' 9th Bureau and managed its merger with the 8th Bureau which saw opponents dismissed.
[Guo: pg. 160] On the eve of the Cultural Revolution, Mao directly controlled the CGB, and through it the Central Guard Corps and BGC, which he used to arrest and spy on his opponents.
[Guo: p. 169.] Mao fostered the Central Guard Corps's loyalty by providing social and economic assistance to its members and their families, and - before 1969 - personally meeting new recruits.
[Guo: p. 170.]
The Cultural Revolution
During the Cultural Revolution, the Central Guard Corps acted as Mao's representatives and communication intermediaries. Central Guard Corps units were stationed to restore order at the "six factories and two universities" in Beijing which Mao regarded as "models". The Central Guard Corps's prestige, derived from their close association with Mao, allowed their mere presence to pacify the mass rebels;
Zhou Enlai sent officials to shelter in areas under Central Guard Corps influence.
[Guo: pg. 174] The Central Guard Corps and CGB established close ties with various politicians and groups, including
Lin Biao, seeking to ensure their access to Mao; Mao proceeded to "rectify" the loyalty of his security force after coming into conflict with Lin at the
1970 Lushan plenum.
[Guo: pg. 174-175]
Mao's death in September 1976 instigated a power struggle within the CCP between the radical
Gang of Four and the moderates.
[Guo: pg. 291-292] Wang was the most powerful person in the party's security and intelligence organization
[Guo: pg. 93] and retained control of the Central Guard Corps and CGB;
he adhered to Mao's views
[Guo: pg. 120-121] and allied with the moderates, allowing the moderates to control the party's elite security forces: the BGC, Central Guard Corps and CGB.
The Gang of Four were suppressed in October 1976;
[Guo: pg. 380] the Central Guard Corps arrested the Gang, and the BGC arrested followers and took over the media.
The Central Guard Corps was reorganized into the Central Guard Division in 1977.
[Guo: pg. 181]
Leadership changes after Mao
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. After CCP ...
returned to office in 1977
and moved to assert control over the security apparatus. At the
Third Plenum of the 11th party congress in December 1978, Wang agreed to relinquish control over the CGO, CGB, and Central Guard Corps
for a mostly symbolic party vice chairmanship;
[Guo: pg. 182] Wang had previously refused to ally with Deng.
Sun Yong, Deng's chief bodyguard
[Guo: pg. 179] and possibly one of Wang's old political rivals,
[Guo: pg. 180] became the Central Guard Corps's new commander.
In addition, the Third Plenum reduced the influence of Wang and his supporters by separating the CGB and Central Guard Corps from the CGO; this put party security forces solely under the control of the Deng-controlled PLA GSD. Finally, the CGO, CGB, and Central Guard Corps were purged of Wang's supporters.
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
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{{Authority control
Land forces units and formations of the People's Republic of China
Guards regiments