People's Armed Police Special Police College

The People's Armed Police Special Police College (abbreviation: PAP SPC; ) is located in Changping District, Beijing. It is affiliated to the PAP Headquarter and is a tactical units and special forces academy of the People's Armed Police.

It implements the "academy-team integration" system. It is both an academy for training special operations talents and a "national unit" for performing anti-terrorism special operations missions.

Tactical units in PRC are mainly composed of People's Police of Public Security Organs, and the units of the PAP will only provide support when needed by the local government.

Early years
With the rise of global terrorism and increasing incidence of local aircraft hijackings in the 80's, came a need for a tactical armed response group to respond to both such local and international crises. With approval from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), a select group of elite officers was chosen and organized into the Anti-hijack Special Police Group (反劫机特种警察部队) on July 22, 1982, officially code-named Public Security Unit 722 (公安部警字722部队). They were officially inaugurated into the PLA in the capital of Beijing during a ceremony on the 28th.

The command of the unit was later transferred to the PAP in 1983, and renamed PAP Special Police Unit (武警特种警察大队), and they were to undertake new roles such as counter-terrorism and counter-riot. In accordance with the Ministry of Public Security, the unit was again renamed PAP Special Police School (武警特种警察学校) in 1985. The unit went on a recruitment exercise and, took in its first batch of new cadets that September.

2000 onwards
In 2002, with Central Military Commission (CMC) approval the Special Police course was institutionalised into college studies of various disciplines. It was renamed PAP Special Police College (武警特种警察学院), combining both combat and education roles.

Since its inauguration, the People's Armed Police has set up special operation units in 36 provinces nationwide.

Organisation
The college's Special Operation Unit was set up in Beijing, but the increasing incidence of armed criminal activity throughout the whole of China has emphasized a need for such units within the individual provinces. The various units all answer directly to the Central government and enforce the same laws, however similar to such units in the United States they can only react to incidents within their own local of jurisdictions or provinces to which they are assigned.

Selection and training
Members of the special operation units are carefully selected and specially trained. The Special Police College conducts nationwide recruitment once a year.

Students are selected from PAP soldiers and squad leaders with excellent performance. The pre-screening process involves a 3-month mentally and physically demanding assessment and selection, where some recruits will be seeded.

This is followed by a three-year study in one of the two major fields: Armed Reconnaissance and Special Warfare. Upon successful completion of these courses graduates are assigned to the regional and municipal special operation units as Second Lieutenant officers.

Only a small number of the most excellent graduates would be selected to join the college's operation unit.

Weapons and equipment
Due to their multiple roles of acting as a tactical armed response to armed criminals, counter-terrorism duties, and riot policing duties, the special operation units employ a wide array of weapons and equipment. Their access to advanced equipment varies from province to province.

The unit is armed with a variety of domestically manufactured weapons such as QSZ-92 pistols, and if the situation calls for it, they also have access to assault rifles such as the QBZ-95 and the Norinco HP9 shotgun.

Uniform
The standard uniform of the special operation units is the same as that of the People's Armed Police (olive green), but they also use a variety of camouflage and tactical uniforms.

The standard uniform layout has the arm-patch sewn on the left arm. On the camouflage and tactical uniforms, The words like "武警特战" (PAP SOU) is embroidered above the left breast pocket as well.