The Minister of National Defense of the People's Republic of China is the head of the Ministry of National Defense and one of the top positions in the State Council. The minister usually is also a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top governing body of China's armed forces including the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
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Unlike in other countries, the minister does not have command authority over the armed forces, with the post generally used for diplomatic purposes. Nevertheless, the post has always been held by a member of the CMC.
The current minister of National Defense is Dong Jun.[1]
History
Historically, both the position and the ministry carried greater power.[2] In the first decades of the PRC, the ministry included several more departments. all overseen by vice ministers. The minister was held by influential generals, including Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao and Ye Jianying.[2] The ministry was reformed into its current state in the 1982 constitutional revision. Between 1982 and 2008, the minister usually concurrently served as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and was usually a member of the Politburo. After 2008, holders of the position stopped serving concurrently as a CMC vice chair, further weakening the position.[2]
Process of appointment
Officially, the minister is nominated by the premier of the State Council, who is then approved by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and appointed by the president.[3]
Functions
The military is under the governance of the CMC, putting the Ministry of National Defense out of the chain of command,[4] the minister is significantly less powerful than his counterparts from other countries, and has no direct command function over the military.[5] The post is generally seen as a diplomatic and ceremonial role, with the minister handling military-to-military ties with other countries.[6] However, the office has always been held by a member of the CMC.[7] Though the minister has historically been assisted by vice ministers, the ministry currently has no vice ministers.[2]
List of officeholders
| No. | Portrait | Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshal Peng Dehuai 彭德怀 (1898–1974) | 28 September 1954 | 17 September 1959 | 4 years, 201 days |  PLA Ground Force | |
| 2 | Marshal Lin Biao 林彪 (1907–1971) | 17 September 1959 | 13 September 1971 | 12 years, 149 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| Vacant 13 September 1971–17 January 1975 | ||||||
| 3 | Marshal Ye Jianying 叶剑英 (1897–1986) | 17 January 1975 | 26 February 1978 | 3 years, 40 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 4 | Marshal Xu Xiangqian 徐向前 (1901–1990) | 26 February 1978 | 6 March 1981 | 2 years, 345 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 5 | Geng Biao 耿飚 (1909–2000) | 6 March 1981 | 19 November 1982 | 1 year, 105 days | Formerly PLA Ground Force | |
| 6 | General Zhang Aiping 张爱萍 (1910–2003) | 19 November 1982 | 12 April 1988 | 5 years, 145 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 7 | General Qin Jiwei 秦基伟 (1914–1997) | 12 April 1988 | 29 March 1993 | 4 years, 351 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 8 | General Chi Haotian 迟浩田 (born 1929) | 29 March 1993 | 17 March 2003 | 9 years, 353 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 9 | General Cao Gangchuan 曹刚川 (born 1935) | 17 March 2003 | 17 March 2008 | 5 years, 0 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 10 | General Liang Guanglie 梁光烈 (born 1940) | 17 March 2008 | 16 March 2013 | 5 years, 0 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 11 | General Chang Wanquan 常万全 (born 1949) | 16 March 2013 | 19 March 2018 | 5 years, 3 days | PLA Ground Force | |
| 12 | General Wei Fenghe 魏凤和 (born 1954) | 19 March 2018 | 12 March 2023 | 4 years, 358 days |  PLA Rocket Force | |
| 13 | General Li Shangfu 李尚福 (born 1958) | 12 March 2023 | 24 October 2023 | 226 days |  PLA Strategic Support Force | |
| Vacant 24 October 2023–29 December 2023 | ||||||
| 14 | Admiral Dong Jun 董军 (born 1961) | 29 December 2023 | Incumbent | 116 days |  PLA Navy | |
References
- ^ "China officially expels Li Shangfu as defense minister". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d Zheng, William (25 October 2023). "Why the role of Chinese defence minister isn't exactly what it sounds like". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Constitution of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ^ Morris, Lyle J. (27 October 2022). "What China's New Central Military Commission Tells Us About Xi's Military Strategy". Asia Society. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Torode, Greg; Tian, Yew Lun (2023-09-18). "China's military hierarchy under spotlight after defence minister disappears". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "The mystery surrounding China's missing defence minister". The Economist. 15 September 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Liu, Zhen (18 October 2022). "What is China's Central Military Commission and why is it so powerful?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
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