[5]: 292  Largely composed of peasants, the militia had diverse roles including protecting villages, implementing land reform, and opposing external threats.

[6] After the 1949 foundation of the PRC, the CCP used the militia to reconstruct the country (in particularly the devastated railway system), to maintain Law and order in the countryside, and for defense of the borders and coast.

One of the problems the militia attempted to solve was the large number of Kuomintang troops (estimated to be around 400,000) that had been discharged but had not returned to their homes.

The implementing regulations stipulated that the Department for People's Armament set up offices at lower levels, in townships and street districts.

[9] This degree of mobilization and the workforce depletion that training this mass force caused was a contributing factor to the disastrous famines of the Great Leap Forward.

[10] At a four-week Politburo meeting in July 1959, Defense Minister Peng Dehuai, concerned about the operational capability of the People's Liberation Army due to food shortages, voiced strong criticism of the Great Leap Forward.

Mao admitted to making mistakes, but then ensured that the Central Committee ejected Peng as defense minister in August under the pretext of collaborating with the Soviet Union.

[11][12] The militia naturally became entangled in the continuous conflict and fighting of the Cultural Revolution, and became deeply fragmented in the complex factional struggle of the times.

[13] Militia members also handled logistical tasks including transporting food and supplies, and building roads, trenches, and bridges.

[15]: 101  The fact that the militiamen were dressed in civilian clothes and many spoke Zhuang rather than Mandarin resulted in several cases of friendly fire.

On May 31, 1984, a new conscription law was passed by the National People's Congress, where the tasks of the militia were defined in more detail in Article 36: 1) Serve as a training service as preparation for war.

[17] The need for free-moving labor and the massive migration from the countryside that came with the rapid economic growth distorted the basis of the traditional militia.

Technical troop detachments should be set up in the cadre militia units in accordance with the need for preparation for war and the available equipment.

In particular, anti-aircraft battalions and regiments should be set up at important civil defense facilities in cities, in transport hubs, and other areas requiring protection.

[citation needed] The formal tasks of the Militia remain those defined by Article 22 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Defense: the Militia, under the command of military organs, shoulders the tasks of preparations against war and defense operations, and assists in maintaining public order.

[1] Maritime Militia funding and associated paramilitary training led to a reversal of the downward trend of the Chinese commercial fishing fleet.