[2]: 40 The MOT's origins date back to 1912 when the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China was established.

In early March 2008, the National People's Congress announced the creation of a combined ministry for road, air and water transport.

[3] This excluded rail transport, which was administered by the Ministry of Railways until its regulatory function passed to the MOT in March 2013.

However, the Chinese MOC supervised road and water transport, with other ministries overseeing telecommunications and broadcasting.

[7] After the People's Republic of China was established, other ministries were created to oversee railways, airlines, postal services, and telecommunications.