Members of the People's Liberation Army Performance Troupe perform for U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Guo'an Theater in Beijing, July 10, 2011. In China's army, there is a special ensemble that does not fight in the battlefield but partakes in perhaps an even more important way: They boost the morale of soldiers through singing and performances. They are the army's art and dance troupe. The division originated during the foundation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and played an important role in carrying out publicity during the war years. The number of art troupes in the army has been reduced several times during disarmament, but there are still estimated over 20 troupes across military headquarters, navy, army and the air force, and major military regions like in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Jinan and Nanjing.