China began organizing commando units in the late 1980s. This was seen as an experiment. But after noting the success of American and British commandos in the 1991 Gulf War, the Chinese decided to push the concept throughout their armed forces. Unfortunately, they appear to have diluted their efforts by establishing special operations units in each of the seven (now six) military districts, as well as in the navy and the Airborne Corps. There are two "Special Warfare Corps," but most of the commando troops in China appear to be more like SWAT teams (for use against criminal gangs and dissidents) rather than special operations troops in the American sense.