Jiefangjun Bao (PLA Daily) Digital Archive
The official newspaper of the military of the People's Republic of China
First published on January 1, 1956, Jiefangjun Bao (解放军报, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily) is the official newspaper of China’s Central Military Commission and a principal authoritative voice of the People’s Liberation Army. Published under the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, it reports on military affairs while also communicating official positions on defense policy, political education, military doctrine, national security, technological modernization, and the role of the armed forces within the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese state.
The archive provides a unique record of the development of the PLA across more than seven decades. Its reporting, editorials, official statements, and military commentary document changes in Chinese strategic thinking, military organization, political doctrine, force modernization, training, weapons development, international security policy, and relations between the Communist Party and the armed forces.
Its historical coverage encompasses major periods in modern Chinese history, including the Mao era, the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao military reform, China’s economic opening, the modernization and professionalization of the PLA, and China’s emergence as a major military and geopolitical power. The newspaper’s changing editorial role—including its close relationship with People’s Daily during portions of the Cultural Revolution—also makes it an important source for studying the intersection of military policy, ideology, propaganda, and political power.
Because Jiefangjun Bao presents events and policies from within China’s official military establishment, the archive offers researchers direct insight into how the PLA has described its own missions, priorities, threats, reforms, and strategic objectives over time. It is especially valuable when used alongside Western, Taiwanese, Japanese, Russian, and other external sources on Chinese military affairs.
Now available with East View’s English Reader!
Enhance access to the archive with this optional add-on service. With East View’s English Reader you can now search the archive and retrieve articles in English language. Leveraging advanced AI technology, East View’s English Reader provides high-quality, accurate, and fluent English translations of all articles in the Jiefangjun Bao (PLA Daily) Digital Archive, making this valuable research content accessible to a wider academic audience. Contact us to learn more.
