During the 1988 Beijing Defence Exhibition, AM General demonstrated an example of its M998 4x4 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (Humvee) to the People's Liberation Army. The vehicle was reportedly left in China after the exhibition closed for further testing and evaluation. The PLA did not show much interest initially due to the vehicle’s high unit price and maintenance costs, but this attitude was somehow changed during the 1991 Operation Desert Storm, when the Humvee gained high publicity in front of press cameras.