The People's Liberation Army and Contingency Planning in China

All militaries have a responsibility to plan for contingencies, and China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is no exception. PLA contingency planning takes place primarily within the General Staff Department's (GSD's) First Department, also known as the GSD Operations Department. China's seven military regions participate in drafting and reviewing the plans relevant to their areas of responsibility, albeit under heavy supervision from the GSD. U.S. joint doctrine defines a contingency as "a situation that likely would involve military forces in response to natural and manmade disasters, terrorists, subversives, military operations by foreign powers, or other situations." U.S. doctrine distinguishes between deliberate planning (advance preparation of campaign and contingency plans in non-crisis situations) and crisis action planning (rapid planning in response to a developing incident or situation). Deliberate planning is typically used to develop campaign and contingency plans for a broad range of activities based on requirements identified in strategic guidance for military commanders. Crisis action planning is conducted with less advance warning (hours, days, or up to 12 months) and focuses on developing alternative courses of action or refining existing campaign or contingency plans to adapt to current circumstances.

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