www.China-Defense.com

Although some of the PAP activities are being transferred to the Public Security Police, the expansion of the PAP seems to go faster than that of the Public Security Police. One of the major reasons is budgetary. During the Third Session of the Eighth NPC (in March 1995), a top Beijing PAP officer complained that "we can no longer fight crime just walking on our two feet and riding bicycles like in the past." The officer's request was understandable, but with a limited government budget, increasing the ranks of the PAP with soldiers doing their compulsory military service is cheaper than recruiting professional policemen.

The allowance of a PLA soldier, depending on his rank, ranges from 60 to 80 yuan. This is also the case for a PAP soldier. In addition to this allowance, the government subsidizes part of the mess fee to the amount of 6 yuan per day per soldier. Because the PAP cannot receive a budget allocation from the central government sufficient to support itself, provincial governments also provide subsidies not only in money but also in kind -- providing land and farms where PAP soldiers can raise crops for themselves.

Production varies according to farms and regions. For example, in 1995 the PAP produced 20,330 tons of grain, 41,660 tons of vegetables, and 8,440 tons of meat, which earned the force a total income of 150 million yuan. In 1997, 65 per cent of the PAP units were self-sufficient for meat and vegetables, compared to 59 per cent in 1996. It is hoped that this year about 80 per cent of the squadrons (中隊) could produce 70 per cent of the vegetables and meat they need. However, there are often conflicts of interest since the PAP must rely on local resources to promote its own living standards. In 1992, the PAP General Headquarters sent 137 teams to audit 512 units [branch unit (支隊), and above] and found many cases of corruption.