Emergency Rescue and Disaster Relief
Participating in national development and protecting the people's rights to work in peace are the responsibilities of China's armed forces mandated by the Constitution.
The duties the military may be called on to perform, as provided for in the Regulations on Participation in Emergency Rescue and Disaster Relief by China's Armed Forces, include, among others, rescuing, transferring and evacuating trapped populations; ensuring the security of important targets; salvaging and transporting important materials; conducting specialized operations such as restoration of transportation facilities including roads, bridges and tunnels, maritime search and rescue, NBC rescue, epidemic control and medical relief; avoiding or controlling other major threats and disasters; and supporting civil authorities in post-disaster reconstruction on request.
From 2012 to July 2019, the PLA and the PAP deployed 950,000 soldiers, 1.41 million militia, 190,000 vehicles and items of equipment, and sortied 26,000 vessels and 820 aircraft in emergency response and disaster relief. Among major operations, the military responded to the Ludian earthquake, the floods along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the formation of a landslide dam that blocked the Yarlung Zangbo River. During these operations, the military assisted local governments in the evacuation of 5 million people, provided medical care for 210,000 people, transported 360,000 tons of supplies, and reinforced dams totaling 3,600 kilometers in length. In 2017, 2,631 troops and 160 vehicles of the PLA Macao Garrison participated in the disaster relief operations launched by the Macao Special Administrative Region government in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Hato.
参加抢险救灾
参加国家建设事业、保卫人民和平劳动，是宪法赋予中国武装力量的使命任务。依据《军队参加抢险救灾条例》，中国武装力量主要担负解救、转移或者疏散受困人员，保护重要目标安全，抢救、运送重要物资，参加道路（桥梁、隧道）抢修、海上搜救、核生化救援、疫情控制、医疗救护等专业抢险，排除或者控制其他危重险情、灾情，必要时可以协助地方人民政府开展灾后重建工作等任务。
2012年以来，截至2019年7月，解放军和武警部队共出动95万人次，组织民兵141万人次，动用车辆及工程机械19万台次、船艇2.6万艘次、飞机（直升机）820架次参加抢险救灾。先后参加云南鲁甸地震救灾、长江中下游暴雨洪涝灾害抗洪抢险、雅鲁藏布江堰塞湖排险等救灾救援行动，协助地方政府解救、转移安置群众500余万人，巡诊救治病员21万余人次，抢运物资36万余吨，加固堤坝3600余千米。2017年，驻澳门部队出动兵力2631人次，车辆160余台次，协助特别行政区政府开展强台风“天鸽”灾后救援。