Mobilization[edit]

On May 19, the Central Military Commission began mobilizing PLA units in anticipation of the announcement of martial law order. In addition to the Beijing and Tianjin Garrisons, at least 30 divisions were sent to Beijing from five of the country's seven military regions.^[29][30] At least 14 of PLA's 24 army corps sent troops.^[1][30] Reliable estimates place the number of troops mobilized in the range of 180,000 to 250,000.^[1][31] The scale of the mobilization exceeded that of China's border wars with Vietnam, India and the Soviet Union.^[29]

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