It is the supreme organ of the military direction of the People's Republic of China. It directs and it commands the Armed Forces of all the country.

The APN chooses to the President of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the APN, or its Permanent Committee, chooses to its other members among the nominations presented/displayed by the President of this commission. The CMC apply the system of personal responsibility of its President, who must respond before the APN and has the power to make definitive decisions on the subjects including within the framework from the attributions from the CMC.

The Popular Army of Liberación (EPL) counts on the General Department of Policy, the General staff, Logistic the General Department of and the General Department of Equipment.

The present President of the Central Military Commission is Jiang Zemin; their Vice-presidents are Hu Jintao, Zhang Wannian and Chi Haotian; and its members, Fu Quanyou, Yu Yongbo (of the ethnic group they man), Wang Ke, Wang Ruilin, Cao Gangchuan, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou.