The Central Security Bureau is the chief security detail military
bureau responsible for the security of senior Chinese government,
Communist Party and military leaders.
The Bureau controls the People's Liberation Army's Central Guard Unit,
sometimes as the Central Guard Regiment; also called Unit 8341.
Activated in 1949, in Xibaipo Hebei,
this unit was an independent PLA security regiment that did not report to the Beijing Military Region.
Instead, it was subordinated to the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military
Commission and commanded by a Lieutenant General of the People’s Liberation Army.
When first formed in 1949,
this unit included a single brigade consisted of 3 regiments which are 4th regiment,
5th regiment and 6th regiment with the largest one being the 4th Regiment
of the 2nd Division of the Public Security Army of PLA.
The 5th Regiment and the 6th Regiment were from PLA units in Shandong and Northeast China respectively.
In 1953 the unit begun to use the designation assigned to it for the very first time.
The very first designation given to the unit was General Character 001,
with General refers to the General Staff Headquarter of PLA.
This designation was used until the end of 1950's, when it was changed to "3437".
In 1964, designation "3437" was replaced by "8341",
a designation originally used for a strategic warehouse of PLA.
Since its activation in 1949,
the unit has guarded all the past Chinese leaders,
including Mao Zedong,
Zhou Enlai,
Hua Guofeng,
Deng Xiaoping,
Jiang Zemin,
Hu Jintao,
and now Xi jinping and their immediate families.
The unit is credited with helping to end the Cultural Revolution when Wang Dongxing,
then head of unit 8341,
supported the coup d'etat led by Marshal Ye Jianying against the Gang of Four in September 1976
The total strength of the unit is more than eight thousand,
organized into 7 groups totaling 36 squadrons, each having its own mission.
The first group is responsible for Zhongnanhai and surrounding areas,
the second group was formerly responsible for Maojiawan Lin Biao's former residence,
but is currently responsible for the base camp.
The fourth group is responsible for Jade Spring Mountain and surrounding areas,
and the fifth group is responsible for Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and surrounding areas.
The seventh group is responsible for a VIP residence in Beidaihe District.
Groups eight and nine are mobile reserves.
Along with the personal safety of senior Chinese government, party and military leaders,
the bureau is also responsible for protecting the office and living quarters of the leaders.
Locations such as Mausoleum of Mao Zedong,
the Great Hall of the People,
Jade Spring Mountain,
Diaoyutai State Guesthouse,
Tiananmen, and Zhongnanhai are all guarded by the unit.
The area of responsibility was once greatly expanded during Cultural Revolution,
but has since shrunk back to the original size after the end of Cultural Revolution.