Military leadership in Communist China is exercised in an environment which emphasizes a policy of Communist Party supremacy over the military. The party has provided for a system of collective leadership within the armed forces whereby decisions at most levels are made by party branches or committees composed of the leading party members within the unit. It is concluded that the typical commander is an individual dedicated to his profession and aware of the complexities of modern war. His desire to achieve maximum proficiency of his unit is handicapped by the many factors which are at the same time the strength of the Communist system, namely the dependency on political control for all decisions, the use of the systems of collective leadership and dual command, at the maintenance of the morale of the soldier at the expense of causing dissatisfaction among the officers, adherence to the principle of democracy with in the army and stress on leadership by patient persuasion, and the continuing use of the army for nonmilitary tasks.