Short answers, pulled from the story.
The People's Liberation Army was founded on the 1st of August 1927 during a rebellion by communist elements of the National Revolutionary Army. This event marked the establishment of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army under leaders Zhu De and He Long.
The Central Military Commission exercises absolute control over the armed forces according to Chinese law. Since 1989, the CCP general secretary has also served as the CMC Chairman granting significant political power as the only member of the Politburo Standing Committee with direct responsibilities for the armed forces.
China replaced its system of seven military regions with newly established Theater Commands in 2016 including Northern Southern Western Eastern and Central commands. Each Theater Command functions as a unified entity with joint operations across different military branches.
In 2024, China's military expenditure reached US$314 billion accounting for 12 percent of the world's defence expenditures. The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force controls China's nuclear and conventional strategic missiles with an estimated arsenal size between 100 and 400 thermonuclear warheads.
China became the third country in the world to have sent a man into space by its own means with the flight of Yang Liwei aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft on the 15th of October 2003. This mission demonstrated China's capability to perform reconnaissance navigation communication and counterspace functions via satellite constellations.