It was Xi Jinping himself who ultimately made the crucial decision to fire five ballistic missiles into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The Central Military Commission of the Communist Party decides on the military actions to be carried out by the People's Liberation Army, which means the Chinese Communist Party's armed forces. It is headed by Xi, the President of the Commission, and the leadership consists of a total of seven members: two vice-presidents (military officers) under the President and four commissioners (military officers).
Nihon Keizai Shimbun