What is a Chinese SKS assault rifle?

The Chinese SKS, also known as the Type 56 semi-automatic carbine, is a Chinese rifle largely based off the plans of the original Soviet SKS. The original SKS was designed in 1943 by Sergei Simonov and entered service in 1949.

The Type 56 entered Chinese service in 1956, after the AK-47, another Soviet firearm, and made the Soviet SKS obsolete. The Soviet Union distributed the rifle plans to its surrounding allies, and each country produced its own variation of the rifle. The SKS/Type 56 was preferred over the AK-47 by the People's Liberation Army during the People's War because long-range combat was emphasized in the conflict. The Type 56 is no longer in active military service.