The chairman of the Central Military Commission is the head of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police (PAP) and the Militia. The officeholder is additionally vested with the command authority over China's nuclear arsenals.
There are technically two offices with the same name, including the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) CMC and chairman of the People's Republic of China (PRC) CMC. However, under the arrangement of "one institution with two names", they function as one office.[1] The officeholder is usually the CCP general secretary; this grants significant political power as the only member of the Politburo Standing Committee with direct responsibilities for the armed forces.[2]
According to both the CCP constitution and the state constitution, the chairman assumes overall responsibility over the work of the CMC.[3][4] The office confers military ranks, though regulations stipulate that no military rank shall be conferred on the chairman themselves.[5]
According to the Constitution, the state CMC chairman is responsible to the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee.[3] The state CMC chairman is officially nominated by the Presidium of the NPC during a session and approved by the delegations of the NPC,[6] and its term of office is the same as the NPC.[3] According to the Party constitution, the Party CMC chairman is officially elected by the CCP's Central Committee.[4]
The following have held the position of chair of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party:
The following have held the position of chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China: