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Flying-penguins wrote:

The main logic behind conscription is for the nation's self-defense.... In economics, it's not only the productivity that matters. The cost of opportunity also matters; and in this case, your economy is most likely to decrease by 10% in terms of annual revenue.

In Manchukurun, conscription is performed for all citizens for a period of two years, but not into the military proper (which is smaller on purpose), but into a number of people's militias. This is used as a means of equalization, civic participation, as a jobs program (they have a selection of jobs to choose from while in service; dependent on education), and as a method of ensuring responsibility as the state arms the populace (Also for economic reasons; large arms manufacturing). At the end of that they can enter the military proper if they like and if they excel.

Conscription originally came into being to help their Korean comrades against the western powers. Part of the power struggle of the early CPM to eliminate factionalism was undermining a set of military leaders that carried reactionary ideas from a traditionalist bend (allegedly). The first general secretary was able to convince the CPC faction of the party to help instate him as the head of the military contingent on a purge of the soviet faction with the implication being that the nation would be more dependent on the PLA. This was compelling as Manchurian militarism had actively been forced to side with the Japanese in WW2, and so China was a big fan of their disarmament. The ultimate effect of this was to eliminate all factions of opposition (including the Chinese faction, who were forced to publicly pretend this never happened), and consolidate a progressive civil service under the direct control of the party. With no opposition left they did not even have to actually disarm. The supremacy of the professional military was genuinely taken down 18 pegs though, and in the year 2045 the professional military only contains necessary experts and the forces necessary to hold off invasion for 4-6 months in time for the people's militias to be fully mobilized.