The Academy of Military Science(s) (AMS) is the highest-level research institute of the People's Liberation Army

People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

 (PLA) of the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, headquartered in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, China. Its current standing director and Deputy Secretary General is Major General

Ranks of the People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established. As a result of the Cultural Revolution, ranks were abolished in May 1965...

 Luo Yuan.

Functions

As stated in its official description, the AMS researches issues related to “national defence, armed forces development and military operations.” It works in consultation with the Central Military Commission and the PLA General Departments

People's Liberation Army General Staff Department

The People's Liberation Army General Staff Department is the command organ and the headquarters for the Chinese People's Liberation Army . It is under the absolute leadership of the Central Military Commission...

. More broadly, it coordinates research conducted by the various PLA institutions.

Also, according to Bates Gill

Bates Gill

Dr. Bates Gill is an expert on Chinese foreign policy and the current director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ....

and James Mulvenon, "AMS researchers write reports for the military leadership, ghost-write speeches for top military leaders, and serve on temporary and permanent leading small groups as drafters of important documents like the Defence White Paper. The AMS also conducts analysis on foreign militaries, strategy and doctrine, and has consistently taken the lead role in the study of the future of warfare."

History and Organization

The AMS was founded in March 1958 and as of 2002, its staff included approximately 500 researchers, making it the largest research institution in the PLA. Although the AMS has been reorganized multiple times since its founding, as of August 2008, it contained the following administrative divisions:

• Department of Research Directive
• Academy Affair Department
• Political Department
• Graduate Department (School)
• Department of War Theory and Strategic Research
• Department of Operations Theory and Doctrines Research
• Department of Armed Forces Development Research
• Department of World Military Research

The academy also maintains a research magazine, a publishing house, and a library.