The Vice Chairmen of the Central Military Commission are deputies to the chairman of the Central Military Commission, who is the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police (PAP) and the Militia.
There are technically two offices with the same name, including the vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) CMC and vice chairman of the People's Republic of China (PRC) CMC. However, under the arrangement of "one institution with two names", they function as one office. According to military regulations, the vice chairmen are granted the rank of general by the virtue of their posts. Since 1997, the vice chairmen have served as the only members of the CCP Politburo holding military rank.
According to the state constitution, the vice state CMC vice chairmen are elected by the National People's Congress after the nomination of the CMC chairman. According to the CCP constitution, the Party CMC vice chairmen are officially elected by the CCP's Central Committee. Currently, Zhang Shengmin is currently serving as the vice chairman.
Party commissions
CCP Central [Revolutionary] Military Commission (1937–49) + Vice-chairmen of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission (August 1937 – August 1945) → Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (August 1945 – September 1949), a.k.a. the Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Commission (November 1948 – September 1949) Military rank Name(birth–death) Hanzi Took office Left office Tenure Term(s) Portrait General(Republic of China, awarded 1937)(later Marshal of the People's Republic of China, awarded 1955) Zhu De(1886–1976) 朱德 22 August 1937 30 September 1949 6th, 7th Lieutenant General(Republic of China, awarded 1937) Zhou Enlai(1898–1976) 周恩来 22 August 1937 30 September 1949 6th, 7th — Wang Jiaxiang(1906–1974) 王稼祥 6 November 1938 23 August 1945 6th, 7th — Liu Shaoqi(1898–1969) 刘少奇 20 March 1943 30 September 1949 6th, 7th Lieutenant General(Republic of China, awarded 1937)(later Marshal of the People's Republic of China, awarded 1955) Peng Dehuai(1898–1974) 彭德怀 23 August 1945 30 September 1949 7th
CCP Central Military Commission (1954–present) + Vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (September 1959 – present) Military rank Name(birth–death) Hanzi Took office Left office Tenure Term(s) Portrait Marshal He Long(1896–1969) 贺龙 26 September 1959 24 April 1969 8th Marshal Lin Biao(1907–1971) 林彪 26 September 1959 13 September 1971 8th, 9th Marshal Nie Rongzhen(1889–1992) 聂荣臻 26 September 1959 1 November 1987 8th, 9th, 10th,11th, 12th Marshal Chen Yi(1901–1972) 陈毅 8 January 1966 6 January 1972 8th, 9th Marshal Liu Bocheng(1892–1986) 刘伯承 8 January 1966 11 September 1982 8th, 9th, 10th,11th Marshal Ye Jianying(1897–1986) 叶剑英 8 January 1966 22 October 1986 8th, 9th, 10th,11th, 12th Marshal Xu Xiangqian(1901–1990) 徐向前 8 January 1966 1 November 1987 8th, 9th, 10th,11th, 12th — Deng Xiaoping(1904–1997) 邓小平 10 January 1975 7 April 1976 10th 19 August 1977 28 June 1981 11th — Yang Shangkun(1907–1998) 杨尚昆 11 September 1982 18 October 1992 12th, 13th — Zhao Ziyang(1919–2005) 赵紫阳 1 November 1987 23 June 1989 13th Admiral Liu Huaqing(1916–2011) 刘华清 9 November 1989 18 September 1997 13th, 14th General Zhang Zhen(1914–2015) 张震 18 October 1992 18 September 1997 14th General Zhang Wannian(1928–2015) 张万年 28 September 1995 15 November 2002 14th, 15th General Chi Haotian(born 1929) 迟浩田 28 September 1995 15 November 2002 14th, 15th — Hu Jintao(born 1942) 胡锦涛 22 September 1999 19 September 2004 15th, 16th General Cao Gangchuan(born 1935) 曹刚川 15 November 2002 21 October 2007 16th General Guo Boxiong(born 1942) 郭伯雄 15 November 2002 15 November 2012 16th, 17th General Xu Caihou(1943–2015) 徐才厚 19 September 2004 15 November 2012 16th, 17th — Xi Jinping(born 1953) 习近平 18 October 2010 15 November 2012 17th General Fan Changlong(born 1947) 范长龙 4 November 2012 25 October 2017 18th Air Force General Xu Qiliang(1950–2025) 许其亮 4 November 2012 23 October 2022 18th, 19th General Zhang Youxia(born 1950) 张又侠 25 October 2017 21 January 2026 19th, 20th General He Weidong(born 1957) 何卫东 23 October 2022 17 October 2025 20th General Zhang Shengmin(born 1958) 张升民 23 October 2025 Incumbent 20th
State commissions
CPG People's Revolutionary Military Commission (1949–54) + Vice-chairmen of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government (October 1949 – September 1954) Military rank Name(birth–death) Hanzi Took office Left office Tenure Portrait formerlyGeneral(Republic of China) Zhu De(1886–1976) 朱德 1 October 1949 27 September 1954 — Liu Shaoqi(1898–1969) 刘少奇 1 October 1949 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) Zhou Enlai(1898–1976) 周恩来 1 October 1949 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) Peng Dehuai(1898–1974) 彭德怀 1 October 1949 27 September 1954 formerlyGeneral, 1st Class(Republic of China) Cheng Qian(1882–1968) 程潜 19 October 1949 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) Lin Biao(1907–1971) 林彪 5 November 1951 27 September 1954 — Gao Gang(1905–1954) 高岗 5 November 1951 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) Liu Bocheng(1892–1986) 刘伯承 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) He Long(1896–1969) 贺龙 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 Chen Yi(1901–1971) 陈毅 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 Luo Ronghuan(1902–1963) 罗荣桓 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 formerlyMajor General(Republic of China) Xu Xiangqian(1901–1990) 徐向前 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 formerlyMajor General(Republic of China) Nie Rongzhen(1889–1992) 聂荣臻 19 June 1954 27 September 1954 formerlyLieutenant General(Republic of China) Ye Jianying(1897–1986) 叶剑英 19 June 1954 27 September 1954
PRC National Defense Commission (1954–75) + Vice-chairmen of the National Defense Commission of the People's Republic of China (1954–1975) Military rank Name(birth–death) Hanzi Took office Left office Tenure Term(s) Portrait formerlyGeneral, 2nd Class(Republic of China) Long Yun(1884–1962) 龙云 29 September 1954 1 February 1958 1st Marshal Zhu De(1886–1976) 朱德 29 September 1954 28 April 1959 1st Marshal Luo Ronghuan(1902–1963) 罗荣桓 29 September 1954 16 December 1963 1st, 2nd Marshal Peng Dehuai(1898–1974) 彭德怀 29 September 1954 4 January 1965 1st, 2nd — Deng Xiaoping(1904–1997) 邓小平 29 September 1954 12 August 1966 1st, 2nd, 3rd formerlyGeneral, 1st Class(Republic of China) Cheng Qian(1882–1968) 程潜 29 September 1954 5 April 1968 1st, 2nd, 3rd formerlyGeneral, 2nd Class(Republic of China) Zhang Zhizhong(1895–1969) 张治中 29 September 1954 10 April 1969 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal He Long(1896–1969) 贺龙 29 September 1954 9 June 1969 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Lin Biao(1907–1971) 林彪 29 September 1954 13 September 1971 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Chen Yi(1901–1972) 陈毅 29 September 1954 6 January 1972 1st, 2nd, 3rd formerlyGeneral, 2nd Class(Republic of China) Fu Zuoyi(1895–1974) 傅作义 29 September 1954 19 April 1974 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Liu Bocheng(1892–1986) 刘伯承 29 September 1954 13 January 1975 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Ye Jianying(1897–1986) 叶剑英 29 September 1954 13 January 1975 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Xu Xiangqian(1901–1990) 徐向前 29 September 1954 13 January 1975 1st, 2nd, 3rd Marshal Nie Rongzhen(1889–1992) 聂荣臻 29 September 1954 13 January 1975 1st, 2nd, 3rd formerlyGeneral, 2nd Class(Republic of China) Wei Lihuang(1897–1960) 卫立煌 28 April 1959 17 January 1960 2nd formerlyGeneral, 2nd Class(Republic of China) Cai Tingkai(1892–1968) 蔡廷锴 16 April 1962 25 April 1968 2nd, 3rd Grand General Luo Ruiqing(1906–1978) 罗瑞卿 4 January 1965 13 January 1975 3rd
PRC Central Military Commission (1983–present) + Vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China (1983–present) Military rank Name(birth–death) Hanzi Took office Left office Tenure Term(s) Portrait Marshal Ye Jianying(1897–1986) 叶剑英 6 June 1983 22 October 1986 6th Marshal Xu Xiangqian(1901–1990) 徐向前 6 June 1983 13 April 1988 6th — Yang Shangkun(1907–1998) 杨尚昆 6 June 1983 31 March 1993 6th, 7th — Zhao Ziyang(1919–2005) 赵紫阳 25 April 1987 23 June 1989 7th General Liu Huaqing(1916–2011) 刘华清 28 March 1993 5 March 1998 8th General Chi Haotian(born 1929) 迟浩田 28 March 1993 5 March 2003 8th, 9th General Zhang Wannian(1928–2015) 张万年 28 March 1993 5 March 2003 8th, 9th — Hu Jintao(born 1942) 胡锦涛 31 October 1999 13 March 2005 9th, 10th General Guo Boxiong(born 1942) 郭伯雄 16 March 2003 16 March 2013 10th, 11th General Cao Gangchuan(born 1935) 曹刚川 16 March 2003 14 March 2008 10th General Xu Caihou(1943–2015) 徐才厚 13 March 2005 14 March 2013 10th, 11th — Xi Jinping(born 1953) 习近平 28 October 2010 14 March 2013 11th General Fan Changlong(born 1947) 范长龙 16 March 2013 18 March 2018 12th Air Force General Xu Qiliang(1950–2025) 许其亮 16 March 2013 11 March 2023 12th, 13th General Zhang Youxia(born 1950) 张又侠 18 March 2018 21 January 2026 13th, 14th General He Weidong(born 1957) 何卫东 11 March 2023 17 October 2025 14th General Zhang Shengmin(born 1958) 张升民 28 October 2025 Incumbent 14th
References