From Mao to now: why China’s Communist Party is intent on control over the military

South China Morning Post  |  Yuanyue Dang, William Zheng

China’s People’s Liberation Army marked its 99th anniversary on August 1, positioning the armed forces just one year away from achieving critical centenary goals. Beijing is intensifying an anti-corruption clean-up across its military establishment to enforce absolute Chinese Communist Party control over all service branches. This sweeping discipline campaign reflects a historical commitment to political loyalty, ensuring that operational commands strictly execute party directives rather than developing autonomous institutional interests.

By reviving core Mao-era organizational doctrines alongside modern anti-graft enforcement, the ruling regime aims to streamline command structures, eliminate systemic patronage networks, and enhance combat readiness. Ensuring uncompromised party authority remains central to maintaining political stability as strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific region. As the armed forces approach their centenary milestone, this institutional overhaul consolidates supreme command under party leadership, reinforcing political oversight across force modernization initiatives, strategic planning, and operational readiness.

Comment

Political dominance over military command structures traces directly to the 1929 Gutian Congress, which established absolute party leadership over the Red Army. Anti-graft campaigns targeting Central Military Commission leadership demonstrate that internal discipline functions to prevent rival power centres. Political commissar networks within regional theater commands maintain dual-command authority, keeping operational decisions subordinate to party cadres. This commissar system prioritises political survival over decentralised tactical initiative during joint force operations.

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