State and Party Central Military Commissions
Last updated: 29 December 2007
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| August 1st Building: The headquarters of the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence (Source: Chinese Internet) |
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At the apex of Chinese military organisation stood two bodies—the State and Party Central Military Commissions (CMC). The 1982 Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) created the State Central Military Commission as the state organ subordinate to the National People's Congress responsible for “directing the country's armed forces”. The State Central Military Commission was the state's decision-making body in military affairs and directed and commanded the armed forces. The State Central Military Commission consisted of the chairman, who was commander in chief of the armed forces, an executive vice chairman, 2~3 vice chairmen, and up to eight other members.
The Party Central Military Commission, elected by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, exercised de facto, authoritative policy-making and operational control over the military. The two CMCs are one identical institution with two names to fit in both state government and party systems. The leadership and members of the two CMCs are identical. As the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been under strict party control since its founding, the party CMC retains its traditional, pre-eminent position in charge of military affairs.
Lines between civilian and military leadership and institutions in China are indistinct. All high-ranking military leaders have high-level party positions. In reality, the ultimate decision-making power concerning war, armed forces, and national defence resides with the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee and the Politburo. The position of the Chairman of the State and Party CMC has been held by the head of state most of the time, though in some occasions the position was held by the person who was not the head of state but effectively led the country.
Since the era of the PRC’s third-generation leader Jang Zeming (in position between 1989 and 2002), the President of the PRC has been concurrently the General Secretary of the party and the Chairman of the State and Party CMC, with the Vice President being the Executive Vice Chairman of the the State and Party CMC. The current PRC President Hu Jintao, who was formerly the Executive Vice Chairman of the CMC, took over the Chairman position from his predecessor Jiang Zemin in September 2004. Since then, the position of the Executive Chairman of the CMC has been left unfilled.
The most important command line of authority runs from the CMC to the four PLA General Headquarters (General Staff Department, General Political Department, General Logistic Department, General Armament Department) and, in turn, to each of the service branches and military regions. In addition, the CMC also has direct control over the Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force), the National Defence University, and the Academy of Military Science. As specified in the 1997 National Defence Law, the CMC also has ostensible command authority over the paramilitary People’s Armed Police (PAP), although the CMC’s command authority is shared with the Ministry of Public Security of the State Council (Chinese Central Government).
The CMC is housed in the Ministry of National Defence compound (“August 1st Building”) located in western Beijing. The exact internal organisation of the CMC is highly secretive. However, it is known that the CMC contains at least five key organs. The CMC General Office is the nerve centre of the entire Chinese military command and control system, responsible for daily administrative duties of the CMC. The General Office processes all CMC communications and documents, coordinate meetings, and convey orders and directives to other subordinated organs.
Other known internal organs of the CMC include:
- General Office (bangongting)
- Legal Affair Bureau (fazhi ju)
- MND Foreign Affair Office (guofangbu waishi bangongshi)
- MND Recruitment Office (guofangbu zhengbing bangongshi)
- MND Peacekeeping Office (guofangbu weihe bangongshi)
- MND Press Bureau (guofangbu xinwen shiwu ju)
- Arms Trading Office (jupin maoyi bangongshi)
- Audit Bureau (shenji ju)
- Discipline Inspection Commission (jilv jiancha weiyuanhui)
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