Central Guard Unit
Encyclopedia
The Central Security Bureau (Chinese: 中央警卫局, also called Unit 8341, and less commonly, Unit 57001) or The Central Guard Unit (sometimes as the Centralis Guard Regiment) is the chief Security Detail
military bureau responsible for the security of senior Chinese government, party, and military leaders.
, the bureau is an independent PLA
security regiment
that does not report to the Beijing Military Region. Instead, it is subordinated to the People's Liberation Army General Staff Headquarters and commanded by a Brigadier General
of the People’s Armed Police.
When first formed in 1949, this unit included a single brigade consisted of 3 regiments, with the largest one being the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Public Security Army (PSA, 公安军) of PLA. The 5th Regiment and the 6th Regiment were from PLA units in Shandong
and Northeast China
respectively. Due to its important missions, the brigade sized unit was given a division unit status, and hence its original name, the 2nd Division of the PSA (公安二师) of PLA. Two years later, the unit was renamed as the Central Guard Division (中央警卫师) in 1951, and the 4th, 5th & 6th Regiments were renamed as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiment respectively, with the 1st regiment being the largest, totaling more than a thousand soldiers.
On Jun 9, 1953, the unit went through another and its most significant reorganization. The 1st Regiment of the 2nd Division of the PSA of PLA became an independent unit in Zhongnanhai
, sole responsible for the missions of VIP protection. The regiment was renamed as the Central Guard Regiment (中央警卫团), and was placed under the direct control of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
(MPS of PRC). A 9th Bureau was formed within the MPS for the new missions, with Wang Dongxing
as the bureau chief, Zhang Yaosi (张耀祠) as the deputy bureau chief, reporting directly to the then MPS Minister Luo Ruiqing
. After Luo Ruiqing's fall from power in 1965, Wang Dongxing was put in charge as the party boss of the regiment, and eventually he would be removed from this important position after his own downfall from power after the end of Cultural Revolution
.
In comparison to the drastic change in the top leadership, the command of the Central Guard Regiment itself had experienced much more stable leadership. When the regiment was first formed and named in Zhongnanhai in 1953, Zhang Yaosi, the deputy bureau chief of the 9th Bureau of MPS of PRC was also named as the regimental commander, Zhang Hong (张宏, not related to Zhang Yaosi) was named as the deputy regimental commander and regimental chief-of-staff, Yang Dezhong (杨德中) was named as the political commissar
, Wang huayu (王化宇) was named as the deputy political commissar and the director of the political directorate, and Wang Lianlong (王连龙, not related to Wang Huayu) was named as the deputy director of the political directorate. The regimental officers would remain in their respective posts for the next few decades.
During the same year of the most significant reorganization, the unit begun to use the designation assigned to it for the very first time. The very first designation given to the unit in 1953 was General Character 001 (总字001), with General refers to the General Staff Headquarter of PLA. This designation was used until the end of 1950's, when it was changed to "3437". In 1964, designation "3437" was replaced by "8341", a designation originally used for a strategic warehouse of PLA. When the warehouse was deactivated and closed down, the General Staff Headquarter of PLA reassigned the "8341" designation to the Central Guard Regiment, and it was used for almost 8 years, when it replaced by "57003" in 1971. 8431 became the most famous and well known designation for the unit and although it is no longer used since 1971, many still refer the regiment as Unit 8431 today. After 8431, the unit was briefly designated as "57003" during the purge of the Chinese military after Lin Biao
's death in 1971, but soon the designation was changed to "57001", the last known designation to the public, which is rumored (yet to be confirmed) still in use today. The original reason for assigning designation was for security reasons and soldiers of the regiment were not allowed to put down the name and address when writing to their relatives and friends, but simply putting down Unit 8341 or other designations instead.
Since its activation in 1949, the unit has guarded all the past Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong
, Zhou Enlai
, Hua Guofeng
, Deng Xiaoping
, Jiang Zemin
, Hu Jintao
and their immediate families.The unit is credited with helping to end the Cultural Revolution
when Wang Dongxing
, then head of unit 8341, supported the coup d'etat led by Marshal Ye Jianying
against the Gang of Four
in September 1976. When the unit was first formed, it had higher requirement for enlistment: any candidates must be a junior-high school graduate, a requirement that does not appear to be much today, but it was considered tough back in the early 1950, when the illiteracy rate in China was over a half of the entire population. The unit was prohibited from participate in any public parade, with only a single exception: after the arrest of the Gang of Four, a huge celebration was held in October, 1976 in Beijing, and the unit was granted the permission to participate in this and only public event.
near the Western Hills
. The 4th Group is responsible for Jade Spring Mountain (玉泉山) and surrounding areas, and the 5th Group is responsible for Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
and surrounding areas. The 7th Group is responsible for VIP residence in Beidaihe District, and the rest two group are mobile reserves. The 1st Squadron of the 1st Group is tasked to protect the Chinese president
, while the 3rd Squadron of the 1st Group is tasked to protect the Chinese premier. After Lin Biao's death, a 8th Group was formed, and armed with anti-aircraft artillery, tasked for air defense, but it was soon disbanded.
The area of responsibility was divided into outer and inner security zones, with inner zone has higher security measures. The inner zone is further divided into three categories and the higher the category, the more strict the security measures. Security details assigned to higher level zones can enter lower level zones, but not vice versa. In addition to sentries and patrols, plain cloth agents were also deployed for security missions. Because the unit was deployment in the high profile areas in the capital, those who are doing security details are issued better uniforms to provide a better image for China, but as soon as the security detail has been completed, soldiers must immediately return the better uniform upon their return and change to regular uniforms other ordinary PLA soldiers wear.
In addition to the 7 groups, there are another two permanent unit of the Central Security Bureau. The first is a small factory of less than a hundred workers, while the other is a farm located in Jade Spring Mountain. Both were established to provide supplies to the need of the Chinese leadership for security reasons, because ordinary factories were not allowed to manufacture the goods the Chinese leadership needed for its daily life, though this practice has been significantly reduced after Chinese economic reform
begun. Though the factory is small, it has adopted most advanced technologies available to China and the factory maintained over four dozen highly digitized and computerized machine tools that is capable of producing a wide range of products, including parts for the Chinese nuclear weapon programs several decade back when the program first begun, though majority of the good produced was consumer goods. The product from this small factory was once exported, but this practice has been abandoned.
The farm at Jade Spring Mountain was originally a ranch for the military horses, because the unit originally had a cavalry squadron, and many top Chinese leaders regular visited the ranch for horse riding and target practice. After the cavalry squadron was disbanded, the ranch was converted to a farm, producing all the food the top Chinese leaders needed, and a portion of the unit's own need. The farm has been practicing organic farming since its establishment, and had never used any pesticide or chemical fertilizers. As a result, the yield was not as high as other farms in China where pesticide and chemical fertilizer are used. Majority of the agricultural output of the farm is rice.
size of combat ready troops, its commander is a Division
size ranking officer – a Brigadier General
. The bureau’s current commander is General Cao Qing (曹清), a veteran of the Sino-Vietnamese War
and the bodyguard of Ye Jianying
.
Along with the personal safety of senior Chinese government, party, and military leaders, the bureau is also responsible for protecting the office and living quarters of the leaders. Locations such as Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
, the Great Hall of the People
, Jade Spring Mountain, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
, Tiananmen
, and Zhongnanhai
are all guarded by the unit. The area of responsibility was once greatly expanded during Cultural Revolution, but has since shrunk back to the original size after the end of Cultural Revolution.
Security detail
A security detail more often known as a PSD, standing for Protective Services Detail, Personal Security Detachment, or Personal Security Detail is a protective team assigned to protect the personal security of an individual or group. PSDs can be made up of military personnel, private security...
military bureau responsible for the security of senior Chinese government, party, and military leaders.
History
Activated in 1949, in Xibaipo, HebeiHebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, the bureau is an independent PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
security regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that does not report to the Beijing Military Region. Instead, it is subordinated to the People's Liberation Army General Staff Headquarters and commanded by a Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
of the People’s Armed Police.
When first formed in 1949, this unit included a single brigade consisted of 3 regiments, with the largest one being the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Public Security Army (PSA, 公安军) of PLA. The 5th Regiment and the 6th Regiment were from PLA units in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
and Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
respectively. Due to its important missions, the brigade sized unit was given a division unit status, and hence its original name, the 2nd Division of the PSA (公安二师) of PLA. Two years later, the unit was renamed as the Central Guard Division (中央警卫师) in 1951, and the 4th, 5th & 6th Regiments were renamed as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiment respectively, with the 1st regiment being the largest, totaling more than a thousand soldiers.
On Jun 9, 1953, the unit went through another and its most significant reorganization. The 1st Regiment of the 2nd Division of the PSA of PLA became an independent unit in Zhongnanhai
Zhongnanhai
Zhongnanhai is an area in central Beijing, China adjacent to the Forbidden City which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The term Zhongnanhai is closely linked with the central government and senior Communist...
, sole responsible for the missions of VIP protection. The regiment was renamed as the Central Guard Regiment (中央警卫团), and was placed under the direct control of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Public Security , is the principal police and security authority of the mainland of the People's Republic of China and the government agency that exercises oversight over and is ultimately responsible for day-to-day law enforcement...
(MPS of PRC). A 9th Bureau was formed within the MPS for the new missions, with Wang Dongxing
Wang Dongxing
Wang Dongxing was Mao Zedong's principal bodyguard during the Cultural Revolution....
as the bureau chief, Zhang Yaosi (张耀祠) as the deputy bureau chief, reporting directly to the then MPS Minister Luo Ruiqing
Luo Ruiqing
-Biography:Luo Ruiqing was born in Nanchong, Sichuan in 1906. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1928. He was the eldest son of a wealthy landlord named Luo Chunting , who had a total of six kids...
. After Luo Ruiqing's fall from power in 1965, Wang Dongxing was put in charge as the party boss of the regiment, and eventually he would be removed from this important position after his own downfall from power after the end of Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
.
In comparison to the drastic change in the top leadership, the command of the Central Guard Regiment itself had experienced much more stable leadership. When the regiment was first formed and named in Zhongnanhai in 1953, Zhang Yaosi, the deputy bureau chief of the 9th Bureau of MPS of PRC was also named as the regimental commander, Zhang Hong (张宏, not related to Zhang Yaosi) was named as the deputy regimental commander and regimental chief-of-staff, Yang Dezhong (杨德中) was named as the political commissar
Political commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
, Wang huayu (王化宇) was named as the deputy political commissar and the director of the political directorate, and Wang Lianlong (王连龙, not related to Wang Huayu) was named as the deputy director of the political directorate. The regimental officers would remain in their respective posts for the next few decades.
During the same year of the most significant reorganization, the unit begun to use the designation assigned to it for the very first time. The very first designation given to the unit in 1953 was General Character 001 (总字001), with General refers to the General Staff Headquarter of PLA. This designation was used until the end of 1950's, when it was changed to "3437". In 1964, designation "3437" was replaced by "8341", a designation originally used for a strategic warehouse of PLA. When the warehouse was deactivated and closed down, the General Staff Headquarter of PLA reassigned the "8341" designation to the Central Guard Regiment, and it was used for almost 8 years, when it replaced by "57003" in 1971. 8431 became the most famous and well known designation for the unit and although it is no longer used since 1971, many still refer the regiment as Unit 8431 today. After 8431, the unit was briefly designated as "57003" during the purge of the Chinese military after Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
's death in 1971, but soon the designation was changed to "57001", the last known designation to the public, which is rumored (yet to be confirmed) still in use today. The original reason for assigning designation was for security reasons and soldiers of the regiment were not allowed to put down the name and address when writing to their relatives and friends, but simply putting down Unit 8341 or other designations instead.
Since its activation in 1949, the unit has guarded all the past Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
, Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
, Hua Guofeng
Hua Guofeng
Su Zhu, better known by the nom de guerre Hua Guofeng , was Mao Zedong's designated successor as the Paramount Leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China. Upon Zhou Enlai's death in 1976, he succeeded Zhou as the second Premier of the People's Republic of China...
, Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
, Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
, Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
and their immediate families.The unit is credited with helping to end the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
when Wang Dongxing
Wang Dongxing
Wang Dongxing was Mao Zedong's principal bodyguard during the Cultural Revolution....
, then head of unit 8341, supported the coup d'etat led by Marshal Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying was a Chinese communist general and the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1978 to 1983.-Biography:...
against the Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
in September 1976. When the unit was first formed, it had higher requirement for enlistment: any candidates must be a junior-high school graduate, a requirement that does not appear to be much today, but it was considered tough back in the early 1950, when the illiteracy rate in China was over a half of the entire population. The unit was prohibited from participate in any public parade, with only a single exception: after the arrest of the Gang of Four, a huge celebration was held in October, 1976 in Beijing, and the unit was granted the permission to participate in this and only public event.
Structure
The strength of the unit is more than eight thousand, organized into 7 groups totaling 36 squadrons, each has its own mission: 1st Group is responsible for Zhongnanhai and surrounding areas, the 2nd Group was formerly responsible for Maojiawan (毛家湾), Lin Biao's former residence, but now is responsible for the base camp, containing several barracks of the unit in central and in northwest BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
near the Western Hills
Western Hills
The Western Hills refers to the hills and mountains in the western part of Beijing.- Geography :Being an extension of the Taihang mountain range from Hebei Province, the Western Hills cover about 17% of Beijing municipality including most of Mentougou and Fangshan Districts as well as parts of...
. The 4th Group is responsible for Jade Spring Mountain (玉泉山) and surrounding areas, and the 5th Group is responsible for Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
The Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is a historic hotel and guesthouse complex in Beijing, China. It includes a number of buildings, houses and gardens. The name "Diaoyutai" means "angling platform", and is so named because the site was a favourite fishing spot of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin China. It is...
and surrounding areas. The 7th Group is responsible for VIP residence in Beidaihe District, and the rest two group are mobile reserves. The 1st Squadron of the 1st Group is tasked to protect the Chinese president
President of the People's Republic of China
The President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...
, while the 3rd Squadron of the 1st Group is tasked to protect the Chinese premier. After Lin Biao's death, a 8th Group was formed, and armed with anti-aircraft artillery, tasked for air defense, but it was soon disbanded.
The area of responsibility was divided into outer and inner security zones, with inner zone has higher security measures. The inner zone is further divided into three categories and the higher the category, the more strict the security measures. Security details assigned to higher level zones can enter lower level zones, but not vice versa. In addition to sentries and patrols, plain cloth agents were also deployed for security missions. Because the unit was deployment in the high profile areas in the capital, those who are doing security details are issued better uniforms to provide a better image for China, but as soon as the security detail has been completed, soldiers must immediately return the better uniform upon their return and change to regular uniforms other ordinary PLA soldiers wear.
In addition to the 7 groups, there are another two permanent unit of the Central Security Bureau. The first is a small factory of less than a hundred workers, while the other is a farm located in Jade Spring Mountain. Both were established to provide supplies to the need of the Chinese leadership for security reasons, because ordinary factories were not allowed to manufacture the goods the Chinese leadership needed for its daily life, though this practice has been significantly reduced after Chinese economic reform
Chinese economic reform
The Chinese economic reform refers to the program of economic reforms called "Socialism with Chinese characteristics" in the People's Republic of China that were started in December 1978 by reformists within the Communist Party of China led by Deng Xiaoping.China had one of the world's largest...
begun. Though the factory is small, it has adopted most advanced technologies available to China and the factory maintained over four dozen highly digitized and computerized machine tools that is capable of producing a wide range of products, including parts for the Chinese nuclear weapon programs several decade back when the program first begun, though majority of the good produced was consumer goods. The product from this small factory was once exported, but this practice has been abandoned.
The farm at Jade Spring Mountain was originally a ranch for the military horses, because the unit originally had a cavalry squadron, and many top Chinese leaders regular visited the ranch for horse riding and target practice. After the cavalry squadron was disbanded, the ranch was converted to a farm, producing all the food the top Chinese leaders needed, and a portion of the unit's own need. The farm has been practicing organic farming since its establishment, and had never used any pesticide or chemical fertilizers. As a result, the yield was not as high as other farms in China where pesticide and chemical fertilizer are used. Majority of the agricultural output of the farm is rice.
Formation and Duties
While the Central Security Bureau has a full regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
size of combat ready troops, its commander is a Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
size ranking officer – a Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. The bureau’s current commander is General Cao Qing (曹清), a veteran of the Sino-Vietnamese War
Sino-Vietnamese War
The Sino–Vietnamese War , also known as the Third Indochina War, known in the PRC as and in Vietnam as Chiến tranh chống bành trướng Trung Hoa , was a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
and the bodyguard of Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying was a Chinese communist general and the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1978 to 1983.-Biography:...
.
Along with the personal safety of senior Chinese government, party, and military leaders, the bureau is also responsible for protecting the office and living quarters of the leaders. Locations such as Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall , commonly known as the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, or the Mao Mausoleum, is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945...
, the Great Hall of the People
Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People is located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square, Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China. It functions as the People's Republic of China's...
, Jade Spring Mountain, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
The Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is a historic hotel and guesthouse complex in Beijing, China. It includes a number of buildings, houses and gardens. The name "Diaoyutai" means "angling platform", and is so named because the site was a favourite fishing spot of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin China. It is...
, Tiananmen
Tiananmen
The Tiananmen, Tian'anmen or Gate of Heavenly Peace is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is widely used as a national symbol. First built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tian'anmen is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City...
, and Zhongnanhai
Zhongnanhai
Zhongnanhai is an area in central Beijing, China adjacent to the Forbidden City which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The term Zhongnanhai is closely linked with the central government and senior Communist...
are all guarded by the unit. The area of responsibility was once greatly expanded during Cultural Revolution, but has since shrunk back to the original size after the end of Cultural Revolution.