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China’s 20th Party Congress
ChinaMilitary

Explainer | What is China’s Central Military Commission and why is it so powerful?

  • During the 20th party congress in Beijing this week, all eyes will be on who CMC chairman Xi Jinping chooses to join the top brass
  • The CMC is similar to a ministry of defence in other countries, while Beijing’s Ministry of National Defence is mainly for diplomatic and PR purposes

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
China’s Central Military Commission chairman and members are elected by the Communist Party’s National Congress every five years. Photo: AFP
Liu Zhenin Beijing
The Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China – the top decision-making body overseeing the People’s Liberation Army – is about to undergo a leadership reshuffle.
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The Central Military Commission (CMC) is chaired by President Xi Jinping, who is expected to stay on. During the 20th party congress unfolding in Beijing this week, all eyes will be on who Xi picks to join the top brass – moves that could shed light on the direction of the PLA and its ambitious modernisation goals.

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Chinese troops in Russia as multinational military drills open in far east

Chinese troops in Russia as multinational military drills open in far east

What is the CMC?

The CMC is China’s top military decision-making and commanding body. It upholds the power to command all China’s armed forces, decide their strategy and courses of action and manage their development, personnel, equipment, funding and assets, among other issues, as Chinese laws stipulate.

The agency consists of 16 functional departments, such as the Joint Staff Department and the Logistical Support Department. It also oversees the headquarters of the PLA’s five theatre commands, six force branches and several affiliated research institutions and academies.

Above them all sits a seven-man committee. Apart from Xi, the two vice-chairmen and four members are all uniformed generals, each in charge of an aspect of the CMC’s duties.

In a sense, the CMC serves many of the functions a ministry of defence has in other countries. The Ministry of National Defence is mainly for diplomatic and public relations purposes, although the title of defence minister is always held by a CMC member.

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