Comment by the “People’s Liberation Army of China”
(October 8, 1954)
To Comrade Peng Dehuai: The Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee has approved proceeding accordingly (No. 21).
Mao Zedong
October 8
[I]
Peng Dehuai,
who at that time served as a member of the CPC Central Military Commission, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Minister of National Defense, was in charge of the day-to-day work of the Military Commission.
[2]
Refers to the views put forward by Peng Dehuai in his report dated October 6, 1954, addressed to Mao Zedong, concerning the naming of departments directly under the Military Commission, such as the General Staff Department. The report stated: The General Staff Department, General Political Department, General Logistics Department, and other departments directly under the Military Commission were originally affiliated with the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government. However, the name of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission has now been abolished. Meanwhile, the National Defense Commission is merely an advisory body, and the Military Commission is a Party organization; therefore, many matters cannot be publicly signed off in its name. If these departments were placed under the Ministry of National Defense, they would become part of the government system, which would mean that members of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress could not concurrently hold positions there. For this reason, I discussed the matter yesterday together with Comrades Bo Cheng, He Long, Rong Huan, Rong Zhen, and Jianying, and we have proposed that all such departments be designated as belonging to the People’s Liberation Army, thus they would be called the General Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army, and so forth. I respectfully request your approval.

Archival photo
October 1954:
Mao Zedong visits an exhibition of PLA communications equipment at Zhongnanhai.