RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Through its publications, INSS provides rigorous, forward‑looking research and analysis on critical national security issues that support the joint warfighter and inform Department of War decision‑makers.

 
News | July 16, 2026

The Silent Service: Assessing PLAN Influence in the Central Military Commission

By Natalie Shen and Joel Wuthnow China Maritime Studies Institute, U.S Naval War College

Main Findings

• Despite its impressive expansion, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is more of a "decision-taker" than a "decision-maker," with its growth driven by top-down political directives from leaders like Xi Jinping rather than by its own institutional influence.

• The PLAN's bureaucratic influence within the high command remains modest, with minimal representation on the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) or in its subordinate departments.

• The PLA Army (PLAA) continues to dominate top leadership and management roles, limiting the navy's ability to compete for resources and influence key decisions despite a strategic shift toward the maritime domain.

• Career progression for rising naval officers prioritizes operational experience at sea over joint duty assignments within the CMC bureaucracy, making such influential staff roles unattractive and further weakening the navy's voice at the top.

• Due to its limited lobbying power, the navy has had to accept CMC policies that reduce its autonomy and capabilities, such as transferring land-based aircraft to the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) and patrol ships to the China Coast Guard (CCG).

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China PRC China Maritime Studies Institute People’s Liberation Army plan PLAN Navy Central Military Commission CMC