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]
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]