The CMC directs and exercises unified command of China's armed forces. It has
the following functions and powers: deciding on the military strategy and
operational guidelines of the armed forces, directing and administering the
building of the PLA, submitting proposals related to national defense to the NPC
or its Standing Committee, formulating military regulations, issuing decisions
and orders, deciding on the structure and organization of the PLA, appointing
and removing, training, evaluating, and rewarding and punishing members of the
armed forces, approving systems and development programs and plans for weaponry
and equipment, and exercising other functions and powers as prescribed by law.
The PLA's General Staff Headquarters, General Political Department, General
Logistics Department and General Armaments Department are departments of the CMC
respectively responsible for military, political, logistical and equipment work.
The General Staff Headquarters organizes and directs the development of China's
armed forces, and organizes and commands their military operations. Under it are
departments in charge of operations, intelligence, communications, military
training and arms, adjutant and force structure, mobilization, electronic
countermeasures, Army aviation, foreign affairs, etc. Its main functions and
powers are to put forward proposals on major issues of military building and
operations, organize and exercise strategic command, formulate programs, rules
and regulations for military work, and organize and direct war preparations, as
well as military training and mobilization. The General Political Department
administers the armed forces' Party work, and organizes their political work.
Under it are departments in charge of Party affairs, personnel, publicity,
security, discipline inspection, civil-military affairs, etc. Its main
responsibilities are to ensure the armed forces' compliance with and
implementation of the lines, principles and policies of the Party and the
Constitution and laws of the state, draw up general and specific policies for
political work, formulate rules and regulations for political work, and make
arrangements for, supervise and provide guidance to the political work of the
armed forces. The General Logistics Department administers the logistical work
of the armed forces. Under it are departments in charge of financial matters,
quartermaster materials and petroleum, oils and lubricants, health
administration, military transportation, capital construction and barracks,
auditing, etc. Its main responsibilities are to formulate programs, rules and
regulations for logistical construction, deploy logistical forces, organize
logistical mobilization and provide logistical support, carry out the
application, allocation, budgeting and final accounting of military expenditure,
and conduct material procurement. The General Armaments Department administers
the provision of equipment for the armed forces. Under it are departments in
charge of overall planning, equipment for all services and arms, procurement for
Army's military equipment R&D, general-purpose equipment support, electronic
information infrastructure, etc. Its main responsibilities are to formulate
strategies, programs and plans, policies, and rules and regulations for
equipment development, organize equipment R&D, experimentation, procurement,
combat service, maintenance and support, and administer the PLA's funds for
equipment buildup.
The Army has no independent leading body, and the leadership of it is
exercised by the four general headquarters/departments. A military area command
exercises direct leadership over the Army units under it. The Army has 18
combined corps, which are mobile combat troops. The Navy, Air Force and Second
Artillery Force, each of which has a leading body consisting of the
headquarters, the political department, the logistics department and the
armaments department, direct the military, political, logistical and equipment
work of their respective troops, and take part in the command of joint
operations. The Navy organizes and commands maritime operations conducted
independently by its troops or in support of maritime operations. There are
three fleets under the Navy, namely, the Beihai Fleet, Donghai Fleet and Nanhai
Fleet. Each fleet has flotillas, aviation divisions, etc. under its command. The
Air Force organizes and commands air operations conducted independently by
itself or with Air Force personnel as the main fighting force, as well as air
defense operations in the capital area. It has an air command in each of the
seven military area commands of Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing,
Guangzhou and Chengdu, respectively. Under an air command are aviation
divisions, ground-to-air missile divisions (brigades and regiments),
antiaircraft artillery brigades (regiments), radar brigades (regiments) and
other support troops. In major directions and key target areas there are also
corps- or division-level command posts. The Second Artillery Force organizes and
commands its own troops in case of launching nuclear counterattacks with
strategic missiles and conducting operations with conventional missiles. Under
it are missile and training bases, and relevant support troops.
Military area commands (theaters of war) are military organizations set up
according to the administrative divisions of the state, geographical locations,
strategic and operational directions, and operational tasks. They are
CMC-appointed organs for commanding joint theater operations. They direct the
military, political, logistical and equipment work of the troops under them.
Under a military area command are the headquarters, the political department,
the joint logistics department and the armaments department. A military area
command is mainly in charge of formulating programs and plans for combat
readiness and operations of troops in the theater and for the reserve force
buildup of the theater, organizing and commanding joint theater operations
involving different services and arms, and providing joint logistical support.
At present, the PLA has seven military area commands, namely, Shenyang, Beijing,
Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Under a military area command
are combined Army corps, units of various Army arms, logistical support units
and provincial military commands (garrison commands at the same level).
Provincial military commands (garrison commands at the same level) are
organizations set up by the PLA in province-level administrative areas, and are
under military area commands. They also serve as departments of Party committees
for military work and organs of government for military service at the level of
province (municipality directly under the central government, or autonomous
region). So, they are under the dual leadership of the military area commands
and local Party committees and governments at the same level. The leading body
of a provincial military command consists of the headquarters, the political
department and the logistics department. A provincial military command directs
the military, political, logistical and equipment work of the units under it,
and oversees reserve force building, peacetime enlistment and wartime strength
mobilization in its area of responsibility.
