The People's Armed Police Force[3][b] is a Chinese paramilitary organization[4]: 121  primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, counter-terrorism, disaster response, law enforcement and maritime rights protection[5] as well as providing support to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during wartime.

[6]: 87 Unlike the civilian People's Police,[c] the PAP[d] is a specialized paramilitary force reporting directly to the Central Military Commission (CMC).

[7] The PAP has been compared by both Chinese and foreign scholars with the gendarmerie forces found in many countries, most famously the French Gendarmerie,[8] but the main inspiration for the PAP's establishment and operation came from the Internal Troops of the Soviet Union and related paramilitary forces of the Eastern Bloc such as the East German Alert Units, adapted to the specific military-political culture and thinking of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership.

[13] The establishment of the PAP highlighted the efforts to increase the professionalization of the security apparatus, as well as the absorption of numerous PLA demobilized personnel,[14]: 228–229  in the wake of growing unrest.

In the mid and late 1990s, CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin significantly expanded and strengthened the PAP, with more than 100,000 new troops.

[15] Jiang praised the PAP, describing it as "a major force for maintaining state security and social stability, the People's Armed Police shoulders a massive and formidable burden" and deployed it extensively in Xinjiang and Tibet.

However, in March 2018, it was announced that the Coast Guard would be placed under the People's Armed Police Force once again since the State Oceanic Administration was disbanded, but now as an independent branch reporting directly to PAP headquarters.

[16] Until 31 December 2017, the People's Armed Police had a dual command structure including the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the State Council through the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

[17] The reform was reportedly carried out in order to deprive the local Chinese Communist Party authorities of the power to use the PAP units to commit abuses or against the leadership in Beijing, especially after the Wang Lijun incident in which the PAP was allegedly abused by provincial party secretary Bo Xilai to surround the US Consulate in Chongqing after a falling out with Wang, the police chief of Chongqing at the time.

The three olive stripes represents the People's Armed Police responsible for the three main tasks and force composition of maintaining national political security and social stability, maritime rights protection and law enforcement, and defense operations.

[19] On 21 March 2018, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party unveiled a reform plan for the People's Armed Police Force.

[21] As of March 2018, the PAP is working with the Central Committee and the relevant organs for the transfer of non-combatant elements into civil service.

China Coast Guard (CCG) was transferred from State Council to PAP command, and the Transportation Corps has some units under the Mobile Contingents.

In order maintenance activities, the People's Armed Police uses the preventive patrol, under the leadership of the public security organs, and sometimes in conjunction with them.

When dealing with mass incidents, with gang activities and other risk situations, responsibility shifts to the People's Armed Police.

Mathieu Duchâtel for The National Bureau of Asian Research identifies the legal basis of the PAP missions abroad in Article 71 of the 2015 Counter-terrorism Law.

[29]: 65  [30]: 26  [31] PAP special operations forces are also deployed in the Chinese embassies of Baghdad and Kabul for the purposes of protection of diplomatic staff and property.

[29]: 15 Since 2011, the People's Armed Police has also conducted operations along the Mekong river with the security forces of Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.

[29]: 13 Since 2014, the People's Republic of China established a security cooperation with Tajikistan and Afghanistan on Afghan border, near the Wakhan Corridor and in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

[29]: 13, 84–87 The People's Armed Police Headquarters is the leading and commanding organ that directs and administers all the units and provides guidance to it.

[22]: 32 [34] The mobile organization emerging from 2018 reforms consists of two large formations tasked with providing support to the whole national territory, should the need arise;[22]: 12–13 These two Mobile Contingents (Chinese: 机动总队; pinyin: Jīdòng Zǒngduì) have a similar structure and are considered corps leader grade (Chinese: 正军级; pinyin: Zhèngjūnjí), one level higher than all of the provincial contingents other than Xinjiang and Beijing Commands.

[22]: 32 The mobile Contingents, like their predecessor 14 Divisions, are mainly responsible for dealing with terrorism, violent crime, riots, and public security threats.

The thirty-one Internal Guard Contingents are responsible for security duty of important political and economic facilities and government buildings at all levels (including party and state organizations, foreign embassies, and consulates), municipal armed patrol, and security duty for senior government officials.

[22]: 32  All provincial-level Contingents maintain "Duty Detachments" (Chinese: 执勤支队; pinyin: Zhíqín Zhīduì), which perform routine duties, including protecting government compounds, in order to be able to complement the Public Security apparatus in case of the latter's failure to handle riots and other forms of mass incidents.

[14]: 233  Several of these Mobile Detachments are assigned to the provincial-level commands, in order to provide local authorities of rapid reaction forces.

[41]: 16 The IGC Contingents deployed at the provincial levels are further downsized to regiments/brigades, battalions and companies in battle order, which are stationed in a number of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the headquarters.

[22]: 32 In June 2018, China Coast Guard was granted maritime rights and law enforcement akin civilian law enforcement agencies in order to carry out contrast of illegal activities, keep peace and order, as well as safeguarding security at sea, when performing duties related to the use of marine resources, protection of marine environment, regulation of fishery, and anti-smuggling.

[43] The special police units are tasked to carry out counter terrorism missions, riot control, anti-hijacking and bomb disposal.

[22]: 12–13 Each provincial-level Contingent (Chinese: 总队; pinyin: Zǒngduì) establishes and maintains special police units as part of its own territorial organization.

[60] On August 2, 2024, PAP officer Miao Jian from the People's Armed Police Ningxia Contingent [zh] drowned while conducting a rescue operation.