Central Military Commission (China)
The Central Military Commission (CMC) (simplified Chinese: 中央军事委员会; traditional Chinese: 中央軍事委員會; pinyin: Zhōngyāng Jūnshì Wěiyuánhuì) refers to the parallel national defense organizations of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China: the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国中央军事委员会; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國中央軍事委員會, a state organ) and the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (simplified Chinese: 中国共产党中央军事委员会; traditional Chinese: 中國共產黨中央軍事委員會, a party organ).
The command and control of the People's Liberation Army (Chinese armed forces) is exercised in name by the 'State CMC', supervised by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The State CMC is nominally considered the supreme military policy-making body and its chairman, elected by the National People's Congress, is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In reality, command and control of the PLA, however, still resides with the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee—the 'Party CMC'.
Both commissions are identical in membership, thus actually forming one identical institution under two different names (called simplified Chinese: 一个机构两块牌子; traditional Chinese: 一套機構兩塊牌子; pinyin: yígè jīgòu liǎngkuài páizi), in order to fit in both state government and party systems. The Party commission is currently chaired by Chairman Xi Jinping while the state commission is chaired by Hu Jintao who is expected to retire in favor of Xi in early 2013. The 11-man commission issues directives relating to the PLA, including senior appointments, troop deployments and arms spending. Almost all the members are senior generals, but the most important posts have always been held by the party's most senior leaders to ensure absolute loyalty of the armed forces and to ensure the survival of the regime.
The CMC is housed in the Ministry of National Defense compound ("August 1st Building") in western Beijing.
Read more about Central Military Commission (China): History, Command Structure, Political Structure, Election of Members, Membership From 2007 To 2012, Members As of November 15th, 2012, Organization
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