I'm Irish and I want to join the chinese army. Need info. Plz help!

[bob501]

I know this inst realy about living in china but I dont know were else to put it. I've always wanted to be a soldier and I also want to live in china. So I'd like to join the chinese army, as an officer. I was looking at the PLA dailys english page but its only a newspaper and so didnt have anything about joining up.

If anyone has any info on foreign nationals joining the army or what pay or conditions are like I would like to hear it. Ive tried to contact the chinese embassy in Dublin but I cant get through.

[geraldc]

Unless you're Chinese, I don't think they'd let you join. I'm trying to think of any westerners in the Chinese army but the days of Dr Bethune, Borodin, Galen and the Flying Tigers are long gone...

I found this site quite informative, but it had nothing about joining up http://www.plapic.com.cn/

[roddy]

This has got to be some kind of joke. What if war broke out between China and Ireland?

[geraldc]

I think your best bet would be to join the Irish or British army, and then get yourself posted to Beijing as the military attache (assuming Ireland has military attache in their Beijing embassy)

This is the only article I could find about foreigners doing anything with the PLA

http://english.pladaily.com.cn/special/foreign/index.htm

[trevelyan]

I imagine the Chinese embassy in Dublin would be ill-suited for this sort of thing. You'd be much better off visiting Beijing and making a formal request to one of the on-duty military officers in Tiananmen Square or the Forbidden City. They are equipped to handle this sort of thing and should be able to direct you to a truck which can take you where you need to go.

Most have been studying English in preparation for the Olympic games, so you shouldn't have difficulty communicating, although too thick an Irish brogue may throw off their understanding a little.

[self-taught-mba]

This has got to be some kind of joke. What if war broke out between China and Ireland?

Then it would nice to be on the winning side eh?

LOL ok back to work--couldn't resist.

[roddy]

Don't bet on it. Bear in mind that Ireland has a natural ally in Korea.

"The temperaments of Koreans and Irish are very similar," says Mr. Kim, a professor in Dongguk University's English department and a lecturer at Yeats International Summer School in Sligo, Ireland. Politically, of course, both countries are divided. And socially, Mr. Kim adds, "They both like to drink a lot."

from here

If Ireland can supply enough Guiness to North Korea to enable it to feed its population, the North Koreans may be persuaded to throw their million-man strong standing army into the Paddy-Sino geopolitical struggle, and the Irish Army and their allies will riverdance all the way to Zhongnanhai.

Roddy

PS Bob501, if you've got a real interest in China, and the military, start studying Chinese and sign up for your local army, whichever that may be.

[chenpv]

I can't resist to reply here. But first, please allow me to express my SURPRISE! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

It is the first time ever in my life to know this original thought, catchy, totally.

The laws pertaining to enrollment in China seems to say that the crucial and fundamental requisition for anyone who intends tp join PLA is citizenship of PRC. Bob, you can achieve your dream by abnegating your Irish citizenship(or others) first and becoming a Chinese citizen, which is theoretically practical.

I am glad anyway.

PS: Hey, this weird thought suddenly occurred to me. If I were a leader in China, I would have surely organised some foreigners to join our army to deal with non-soldier foreigners (like Roddy etc. ), making them feel at home. Kidding. well, the best part is I aint a leader.

[imron]

Well, I'm not sure about joining the PLA, however it is possible to join the Army of the Rebublic of China (aka Taiwan). Though you might have to take up Taiwanese citizenship to do it. A while back there was an American who did just this, and he even wrote a book about it.

http://www.poagao.org/pbook.htm

Though he wasn't an officer just a member of the infantry. I haven't actually read the book, so I can't tell you anything more than that.

[bokane]

Yeah, but to join the Taiwanese (er, 'so-called Taiwanese?') Army you'd have to renounce your Irish citizenship and assume Taiwanese so-called 'citizenship,' and who wants to bet the farm on that?

[mpallard]

That was a cool article about the American joining the Taiwanese military.

If you do succeed in joining the Chinese military you should definitely tell us about how you did it.

[wushijiao]

China does not accept dual citizenship, as far as I know. Thus, Step 1 would be becoming a Chinese citizen. But, China doesn't have immigration or legal immigrants, as far as I know.

[liuzhou]

All foreigners applying to join the PLA, once they get past the sanity test, are required to take language lessons and pass the military Chinese exam.

Study materials here.

No one has ever passed both.

[bob501]

So many of you saying I cant join the pla and others saying I can? Whos guessing and who knows for sure? and how long does it take to get chinese citizenship? If any one lives like right besied a recruiting office I would realy apreciate it if they could ask the recruitment officer can non-nationals join.

thanks.

[Celso Pin]

as far as i know, the only army to accept foreigners is the french foreign legion...

[geraldc]

The US army takes people from a number of countries, the UK will take anyone from a commonwealth country...

[LFCLOUDS]

You've got to be kidding man.

In anycase if you cant get through to the embassy, then head down there , its on Ailesbury Rd near the Merrion centre (next to St Vincents hospital), just get off the DART at Sydney Parade and its a 5 min walk or you can get the bus (45A ?) from town.

The entrance on the left hand side is for visa applications and I doubt they will be able to help you, the main building on the right is what your after.......expect to be treated like the madman you are and quickly escorted of the grounds.

Seriously though, send them a mail at chinaemb_ie@mfa.gov.cn before hand.

You will also need to look into the issue of becoming a Chinese citizen (revoking all EU privilages), and the minor issue of becoming fluent in Mandarin.

Good luck.

[bob501]

Well I apriciate all the posts its been helping and pretty confusing. I realy wat to do it but theres no way Im giving up my Irish passport and EU citizenship!

And yes I do have to learn the language but theres a chinese girl I like who works in the deli down the road from me. Instead of asking her out Im gonna ask her to teach me a language!!!!

[chenpv]

I realy wat to do it but theres no way Im giving up my Irish passport and EU citizenship!

Bob, I am a Chinese. And I just want to remind you, as other kind foreigners have said, that you HAVE TO GIVE UP all your citizenships before becoming a Chinese citizen. I think this is the biggest barrier for you, IHVHO. Good luck!

[Jack MacKelly]

The french foreign legion is the only real big one as for joining any foreign army I don't think its going to happen, not many places take alien soldiers into their army. Polskie Legions also did it in the past, but this hiring of volunteers mostly from abroad was to fight Austro-Hungarian wars amd help in liberation of Poland from people like Hitler and Napoleon. The US did it for a while, when it was using foreigners who were not normally citizens of the nation, Legión Española ( Spanish ) is active but there are few others - the most active ones today are done under NATO, ISAF or the UN, the only true remaining ones today are those of France and Spain.

You might want to check your nation's position on its citizens leaving and joining a foreign force first, some countries treat this very serious and some can be charged with treason. These types of actions could perhaps get one called a political dissident, actions like this from citizens in other nations where security is of high importance can lead notoriety and charges of high-treason.