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Even as many argue that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has become increasingly professionalized, reports of PLA deserters are common. This article investigates such refusals to serve between 2009 and 2018, using an original dataset of 236 publicly reported cases. It demonstrates that mainland reports about desertion are restricted, portraying the behavior as occurring among soldiers who are young, unable to endure hardship, and subject to severe and varied punishments. Analysis of this data shows that refusals to serve are more common in China’s military than public reports indicate, and that China’s leaders are concerned about the phenomenon, though they offer no indication the PLA as a whole would disobey civilian leadership. These findings shed light on China’s civil-military relations, central-local relations, and foreign policy.

Fearing Hardships and Fatigue? Refusals to Serve in China’s Military, 2009-2018