r/PeopleLiberationArmy

Source: http://www.81.cn/bz_208549/jdt_208550/16461327.html

Previously each group army would have a spec ops brigade similar in role to US army rangers; this has now been changed to each theater command(+xinjiang and xizang military districts keeping their spec ops brigades) having a spec ops brigade with a role more similar to US green berets while the role of "army rangers" would be kept by recon soldiers.

Source: https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404900964325786025

I do not know what boat the coastguardsman is from but judging from the machine gun it's likely part of the type 218 series(218, 218A, 218AI, 218AIII) etc; potenetially type 318 but that's from the late 2000s and i haven't seen 318s in the early 2000s livery.

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5299844753131257

Video source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5299937617119254

Xinhua article: https://www.news.cn/milpro/20251219/588c0f6b546246eda6688a3277f56b26/c.html

Ships i could see(in order, left to right, back to front):

YD127: type 271II landing craft. very common in non-PLAN vessels units, almost certainly for transport

White boat(behind the YG123): type 684 dispatch boat: also very common in PLAGF, mostly for island garrisons, intresting to see it here

YG123: unknown class; G means 工程船(Gōngchéngchuán) or engineering ship; this usually is for stuff like cablelayers and dredgers. i think it's very likely cablelayers since information support force does stuff like electronic warfare and psychological warfare so having cablelayeds actually isn't unsuprising

YD125: Also type 271II landing craft

ship behind YD125 is likely an oiler or water tanker

Unknown tugboat

YY102: unknown class of transport ship

YU107: unknown class of oiler

unknown tugboat in front of YU107

Idk if PLAISF has island bases though base 311(psychological warfare base) is in fuzhou which has a lot of islands so i won't be surpsied honestly

PLAISF bases are very obscure and don't go on camera a lot. And again, a reminder that confidential info is not allowed on this subreddit.

Source: PLA news center + CCTV-7

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5293761371309688

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5299546042925241

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5285892379904717

Around 5 can be verified through photos so according to OP there were around single digits of them in service

Video source: China national radio on weibo

translation: me

At the time, communications in Mao County(茂县) were cut off from the world, with attempts to enter via helicopter failing; the paratroopers were sent in to provide intial relief to the county; at the time, they had no info on the weather nor had markings at the drop zone.

This incident is also cited as valueable experience gained by chinese airborne forces in terms of military parachuting.

(the person at the end is senior colonel Li Zhenbo. plane is il-76)

The 15 paratroopers(group photo in 2008; following order is from left to right, rear to front):

1. Liu Wenhui(刘文辉), from tianshui, gansu; born 1984, enlised 2002; then a sergeant of a communications battalion. Honorably dishcharged in 2015 and is an auxiliary SWAT officer of the Qingshui county police.
2. Li Yushan(李玉山), from Wuwei, Gansu, born 1984, enlisted 2002; then a sergeant of a pathfinder unit; Now a lieutenant colonel in a airborne corps battalion responsible for airborne deployment.
3. Wang Lei(王磊), from jianping county, liaoning; born 1981, enlisted 1998; then a staff sergeant in a communications battalion. Honorably dishcarged 2015, Now works at jianping county vocational training center in charge of veteran employment training.
4. Zhao Haidong(赵海东), from dingbian county, shaanxi; born 1996, enlisted 2003. then a corporal in a military police and communications company. Now a worker at the Dingbian county rural road management station.
5. Liu Zhibao(刘志保), from taihe county, anhui; born 1979, enlisted 1998. Unknown rank at the time(airman first class from photos). honorably discharged 2011 with rank of staff sergeant. now a social worker and milita member at Jinghu neighbourhood fo taihe county
6. Lei Zhisheng(雷志胜), from zhangshu, jiangxi; born 1975, enlisted 1993, then a technical sergeant of a communications battalion. Now a civil employee of the Zhangjiashan subdistrict management office in zhangshu.
7. Yin Yuan(殷远); born 1980, enlisted 1997, from Xinji, hebei; then a staff sergeant. Now in the airborne corps special operations brigade(leishen commando unit) as a master sergeant 2nd class and parachuting instructor
8. Zhao Sifang(赵四方); from lushan county, henan; born 1983, enlisted 2000; then a sergeant and parachute instructor. NOw a bylaw enforcement officer of the Lushan county urban management bureau.(chengguan)
9. Wang Junwei(王君伟); from qianwei county, shichuan; born 1971, enlisted 1991; then a major and deputy chief of staff of a airborne corps group. Now a police officer at the Leshan PD
10. Ren Tao(任涛), from Shifang, sichuan; born 1979, enlisted 1996; - then a staff sergeant of a PLAAF Airborne corps pathfinder unit. Honorably discharged in 2012 and now a truck driver. (source: ministry of veterans affairs article in 2023)
11. Liu Zhenbo(李振波), from Wei County, Hebei; born 1960, enlisted 1978; then a Senior colonel and commander of the airborne corps research center. Still a senior conlonel and a senior air force engineer
12. Yu Yabin(于亚宾), from beijing; born 1974; then a major; now the commander of the airborne corps research center and presumably senior colonel.(baidu baike claims he enlisted 1988 which is a very questionable claim)
13. Guo Longshuai(郭龙帅), from Heze, Shandong; then a sergeant. Honorably discharged later in 2008, now works at the Heze Mudan district transportation bureau.
14. Li Yajun(李亚军), from Fuyang, anhui; born 1984, enlisted 2002; then a sergeant. Honorably discharged in 2015, now works at the Shanghai hongkou district greenery and enviromental hygine center.
15. Xiang Haibo(向海波), From Xupu county, hunan; born 1985, enlisted 2004 - Then a corporal in a special reconnaissance unit. Now a lieutenant colonel at the PLAAF Airborne corps training base.

Sources:

• Hubei daily
• Baidu baike
• ministry of veterans affairs
• 2026 PLAAF video
• PLAAF weixin article
• 2008 china news service article
• zhejiang online
• xin'an evening news

Source: http://www.81.cn/bz_208549/jdt_208550/16459644.html

Source: CCTV-7

https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5297878807088998

one day late to post but in my defense it was posted at 22:30

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5296919993647841

Photo and info source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5297048711857408

The current Haijing 34501(中国海警34501) was launched in September 1978 for the Tianjin Enviromental Protection Bureau(now Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment) as Jingtanghu 8(京塘沪8). She was built in Chongqing and had the following specifications:

• Length: 34.6 meters
• Width: 6.6 meters
• Depth: 3 meters
• draft(empty): 2 meters
• draft(full load): 2.15 meters
• 2x220 kilowatt type 12V150 engines + 2x56 kilowatt type 4135 engines
• top speed: 12 knots
• range: 800 nautical miles
• self sustainment for 5 days
• 9 crew
• 15 beds

In november 1988, the State oceanic administration(in charge of china marine surveillence) purchased her for 280,000 rmb and renamed her Haijian 21(中国海监21); she was assigned to the beihai branch's qingdao base. Her role was to transport personnel to larger vessels during science expeditions.

In December 2003 to may 2004, she recieved a mid life upgrade which included a sensors room, data center, internet and meeting room.

In 2013, she was transferred to the China coast guard as Haijing 1021(中国海警1021). In 2018 reforms she was again renamed to Haijing 34501(中国海警34501).

due to her age, she is presumed to be in reserve and no longer in active service.

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5281326924040369

Video: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5280771389785388

PAP seems to have QBZ-192s, QCQ-171s and QSZ-92s; SWAT has CS/LS7s, CS/LR4 QSZ-92Gs, QBZ-95s

People were joking that Local SWAT has better equipment than the military;

this is since SWAT is funded by the local government, which means richer cities e.g. qingdao or shenzhen have better equipment than some poorer cities, while PAP is the military, funded by the central government, meaning all places get the same funding;

rural areas typically need the PAP more since their SWAT is not as well funded while richer areas have better SWAT than most military units.

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5296987936915738

Funnily enough the national immigration administration(Ex- MPS/PAP border defense force before 2018)'s border management detachments also have their own spec ops(also known as rapid response) teams.

even back in the days of the border defense force the xinjiang border defense corps operated a small all-female special operations team, likely now part of the NIA.

EDIT: This is not a 6th bureau cutter, but type 301 cutter Qizhou(七洲, 5309) of the 5th bureau.

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5296388847963036

Producer's website: https://www.sasichtgq.com/portfolio/items/gq-580

Stats:

• Max capacity: 200 KG
• Max range: 1000km
• length: 3600mm
• width: 1250 mm
• height: 1700mm
• max altitude: 6000m
• endurance: 8 hours
• Speed: 150kph

Source: CCTV-7

Source: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5295689380397877