Communist party of China takes control of paramilitary police

China's paramilitary police force will soon be commanded by the Chinese Communist Party's armed forces, a report said yesterday, the latest sign of the leadership's resolve to centralise power.

The move puts the force, which maintains domestic security, squarely under the command of President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the military.

The 660,000-strong force is responsible for border patrol, counter terrorism and fire-fighting, as well as maintaining domestic stability and other tasks.

It is currently under the dual leadership of the government's cabinet, the State Council, and the party's Central Military Commission.

By contrast, and unlike most countries, China's armed forces are permanently under the control of its ruling political party, the CCP, rather than the state.