The total active strength of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is 2.3 million (the largest in the world). Among them:
The Army's active strength totals 1.5 million. The PLA land forces are equipped with 7,000 tanks, 7,500 armored personnel carriers, and have 20,000 artillery pieces and 400 helicopters.
The Navy's active strength totals 236,200, or 10 percent of the PLA's total. This includes 25,000 naval aviators, 25,000 naval coast guards and 40,000 marines. According to estimates by authoritative foreign military organizations, there are 1,230 ships of various types deployed in China's three major fleets in the North Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea, with the following major large-scale combat vessels: 23 guided-missile destroyers, 40 guided-missile frigates, 70 conventional submarines, 16 large tank landing ships, 8 nuclear submarines, 40 or more medium or heavy amphibious transport ships, and close to 50 near-shore guided-missile patrol ships, as well as One aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.
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