PLA Academy of Military Science

The Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (AMS) is the highest-level research institute of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China, headquartered in Beijing. Its president is Lt. General Gao Jin (since December 2014) and General Xu Yaoyuan is the political commissar.

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

Also, according to Bates Gill 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: The academy also maintains a research magazine, a publishing house, and a library.
 * 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

Members and staff

 * Major General Yao Yunzhu, director of China-America Defense Relations
 * Major General Chen Zhou, a senior researcher and a key author of the 2013 The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces paper
 * Dr. Lu Jinghua, Research Fellow, Center on China-America Defense Relations