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Central Military Commission

Central Military Commission
The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the People’s Republic of China’s highest national defence organisation and military leadership body, headquartered in Beijing. Operating under a “one institution with two names” arrangement for both the Party and State, its primary mission is to command all armed forces, including the People’s Liberation Army, the People’s Armed Police and Militia. The CMC oversees military strategy, development, personnel and equipment, focusing on modernising the PLA and ensuring the Chinese Communist Party’s absolute leadership over the military. It is pivotal in China’s national security and defence.
Wang Renhua was elevated to the highest rank for officers in active service in March, 2024. Photo: CCTV
Corruption in China

China’s anti-corruption campaign claims 3 more top military officers

Two generals and an admiral have been expelled from the national legislature after noticeable absences in recent months.

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Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

China vows to keep up the fight after record ‘tigers’ caught in corruption net

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China’s Communist Party

Top PLA Air Force duo miss key military event led by Xi as graft fight rolls on

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China's military weapons

Chinese military tightens review of weapons pricing to fight corruption

CMC Equipment Development Department releases new rules amid push for quality equipment and ‘professional ethics’.

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New procurement rules for the Chinese military dictate that troops should receive weapons and equipment that are combat-oriented, high quality and offer advanced performance. Photo: Xinhua
China’s air force

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

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Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Newcomers in charge at PLA’s corruption-hit command overseeing Taiwan

State media shows Yang Zhibin and Zhang Jichun at official event, suggesting they are heading the Eastern Theatre Command.

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China military reform

Chinese military issues new rules to ‘prioritise strict political discipline’

Effective in January, latest revisions come amid Beijing’s anti-corruption campaign that has led to recent downfall of several top generals.

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Military delegates walk in Tiananmen Square in Beijing as they arrive for a meeting of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, on March 8. Photo: EPA-EFE
China’s fourth plenum

How Xi’s ongoing battle against PLA corruption shapes China’s military future

The fight against graft in the armed forces is set to become one of the national priorities for the next five years.

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Corruption in China

PLA bans 4 Chinese universities from procurement process for bid-rigging

Three of China’s ‘seven sons of national defence’ receive bans ranging from two years to ‘permanent’ amid Beijing’s anti-corruption drive.

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China’s fourth plenum

PLA urged to ‘live a tight life’ as top officials elaborate on 5-year plan

Senior Chinese general calls for cutting training, management and equipment support costs while improving procurement.

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A foot formation marches through Tiananmen Square during a military parade in Beijing, China on September 3. Photo: Xinhua
China’s fourth plenum

China’s top general vows to crack down on ‘fake loyalty’ and ‘two-faced men’

Zhang Youxia calls for military to eliminate ‘poisonous influences and long-standing problems’ and to accelerate weapons development.

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General Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the CMC and a Politburo member, said the military must “strengthen political guidance to forge loyalty”. Photo: AFP
Corruption in China

China expels former aerospace boss and military auditor from top legislature

Xu Dazhe, former vice-minister and space programme director, and Sun Bin, who was CMC auditor, have been removed from NPC duties.

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China’s Communist Party

PLA mouthpiece puts focus on ‘political rectification’ after generals purged

PLA Daily calls for vigilance, contemplation of the dangers of ‘greed’ and for stability amid the ‘raging waves of temptation’.

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Corruption in China

To win wars, PLA must fight corruption, China’s military mouthpiece declares

Military ‘must not be a hiding place for corrupt elements’, PLA Daily warns following major reshuffle at Communist Party conclave.

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Zhang Shengmin has been promoted to vice-chair of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). Photo: Handout
China’s fourth plenum

China’s fourth plenum communique

In the first edition of the new SCMP Plus series, Between the Lines, SCMP Executive Editor Chow Chung-yan annotates the communique from the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee, which outlines the 15th five-year plan.

China’s fourth plenum communique
China’s fourth plenum

China’s fourth plenum: leaders bolster self-reliance against ‘raging storms’

5,000-word Central Committee document stresses tech upgrades, security and domestic demand to guard against headwinds of the next five years.

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China’s Communist Party

Zhang Shengmin promoted to vice-chair of China’s Central Military Commission

Communique of fourth plenary session of Central Committee declares Zhang Fengzhong, of the PLA Rocket Force, is under a corruption probe.

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China’s fourth plenum

China’s Communist Party kicks off fourth plenum amid tight security in Beijing

Xi Jinping delivers work report during first day of key conclave that will determine China’s development over the next five years.

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Security personnel stand guard at the entrance to the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing where the Communist Party’s Central Committee is holding its fourth plenum. Photo: AP
Corruption in China

Sacked Chinese generals ‘disloyal’, dealt ‘serious blow’ to military: PLA Daily

Editorial’s scathing criticism of senior officers echoes language used when former defence chief Wei Fenghe was sacked last year.

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China's military weapons

The aircraft carrier champion and naval genius behind China’s blue sea strategy

Admiral Liu Huaqing was a visionary who transformed a backward military force into a modern, effective presence in the South China Sea.

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China’s Communist Party

China expels He Weidong, Miao Hua and 7 other generals from party and military

Rare disclosure from defence ministry comes days ahead of key Communist Party fourth plenum to discuss next five-year plan amid US rivalry.

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He Weidong has lost his position as the second-ranked vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission. Photo: AFP
China’s Communist Party

As fourth plenum looms, China braces for a major Central Committee shake-up

Reshuffle expected this month at top Communist Party body as more senior officials are sidelined by corruption investigations.

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A Chinese military band conductor in action at the closing ceremony of the National People’s Congress, in Beijing on March 11. Several senior members of the military have been ensnared in the anti-corruption drive spearheaded by President Xi Jinping. Photo: AP
China’s military

China will work with Singapore on regional stability, top military officer says

Beijing’s most senior general meets the Singaporean defence minister on the sidelines of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

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Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

China expels 4 generals from legislature as anti-corruption push rolls through PLA

People’s Armed Police commander Wang Chunning the most senior of the group to lose his role as a lawmaker.

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United States

Opinion | Department of War? US defence needs deeper reforms, not a name change

World’s largest and most sophisticated military has an unwieldy governing structure and consumes enormous resources.

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A new sign hangs at the Pentagon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defence the Department of War in Washington, US, on September 5. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

How China’s military surged ahead by firing up competition among suppliers

State firms are still the backbone of weapons supplies, private companies are playing a bigger role.

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State firms are still the backbone of China’s defence industry but the private sector is playing a bigger role. Photo: Eugene Lee
Corruption in China

The Front Line | China’s military parade provides reminder of rising stars who fell to earth

A leading role in the event may show who is heading for the top – but some who did so in the past have now been caught in a corruption purge.

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China's military weapons

Will Chinese Z-10ME attack helicopters now power Pakistan’s military?

Social media posts suggest Pakistan has received a shipment of advanced aircraft similar to helicopter China has deployed near Indian border.

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