61889 Regiment
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
'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 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
's main internal security organization was the State Political Security Bureau (SPSB). It was created after
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
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 Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...
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 re ...
, 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a third of the Central Guard Corps was split off to create a protection unit for the CCP advance into
Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
.Guo: pg. 147 In the following continuation of the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, the Central Guard Corps protected the
Central Committee Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of Communist party, communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party org ...
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 21 ...
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 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
Peng Dehuai Peng Dehuai (; October 24, 1898November 29, 1974) was a prominent Chinese Communist military leader, who served as China's Defense Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was born into a poor peasant family, and received several years of primary edu ...
, 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 Plenu ...
, 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 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 int ...
's deputy governor.Guo: pg. 157-158 Mao strengthened his control over security in preparation for the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
, 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 Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
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 The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
and the moderates.Guo: pg. 291-292 Wang was the most powerful person in the party's security and intelligence organizationGuo: pg. 93 and retained control of the Central Guard Corps and CGB; he adhered to Mao's viewsGuo: 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 CC ...
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 bodyguardGuo: 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

* * {{Authority control Land forces units and formations of the People's Republic of China Guards regiments