The Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China is the second-ranked constituent department under the State Council.

Unlike in other countries, the Ministry of National Defense does not have operational command over the Chinese military including the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which is instead commanded by the Central Military Commission (CMC).

The work of the Ministry and the Minister are primarily diplomatic in nature, generally functioning as the a liaison representing the CMC and PLA when dealing with foreign militaries.

The MND was set up according to a decision adopted by the 1st Session of the 1st National People's Congress in 1954.

While this may change, Dong Jun was not added to the CMC during the Third Plenum meeting in July 2024.