Leadership of the People's Republic of China

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Politics of China
Leadership Leadership generations Succession of power Hu–Wen Administration (2002–2012) Xi–Li Administration (2012–2017) Xi Core Administration (since 2017) 4th Leadership Core: Xi Jinping 19th Central Politburo 13th State Council Current State leaders Current provincial leaders National leaders Orders of precedence Paramount leader: Xi Jinping Communist Party leader: Xi Jinping Head of state: Xi Jinping Head of government: Li Keqiang Congress Chairman: Li Zhanshu Conference Chairman: Wang Yang Commander-in-chief: Xi Jinping Politburo Standing Committee Related systems Democratic centralism Collective leadership Organization Department Elections Civil service
Communist Party History Principal leaders Constitution Organization National Party Congress (19th) Central Committee (19th) General Secretary (list) Xi Jinping Central Politburo (19th) Standing Committee (list) Central Secretariat Top-ranked secretary: Wang Huning Central Military Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping Vice-Chairmen: Xu Qiliang, Zhang Youxia National Security Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping Vice-Chairmen: Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu Office Chief: Ding Xuexiang Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Director: Xi Jinping Deputy Directors: Li Keqiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng Secretary-General: Wang Huning Financial & Economic Affairs Commission Director: Xi Jinping Deputy Director: Li Keqiang Office Chief: Liu He General Office Director: Ding Xuexiang General Secretary's Office Chief: Ding Xuexiang Central Security Bureau Central Guard Unit Office of the Central Secrecy Commission Organization Department Head: Chen Xi Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (19th) Secretary: Zhao Leji Provincial committee Standing committee Secretary Deputy secretaries
United Front Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman: Wang Yang Vice-Chairpersons Top-ranked: Zhang Qingli Secretary-General: Xia Baolong Political parties: CPC (ruling) United Front Work Department Head: You Quan RCCK CDL CDNCA CAPD CPWDP CZGP JS TDSGL Federation of Industry and Commerce People's organizations
Ideology Marxism–Leninism Maoism  ("Mao Zedong Thought") Socialism with Chinese characteristics Deng Xiaoping Theory Primary stage of socialism Four Cardinal Principles Three Represents Scientific Outlook on Development Harmonious Socialist Society Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Chinese Dream Four Comprehensives
Constitution Law Constitution Previous constitutions 1954 1975 1978 "People's democratic dictatorship" (Article 1) Democratic centralism (Article 3) Constitutional oath of office (Article 27) Protection of human rights (Article 33) Freedom of religion (Article 36) Chinese legal system Civil law tradition Socialist law tradition Laws Legislation Law List of statutes General Principles of the Civil Law Marriage Law Labour law Labour Law Labour Contract Law Property law Property Law Intellectual property law Patent law Administrative law Administrative Procedure Law Criminal law Capital punishment Capital offences Death sentence with reprieve
Legislative National People's Congress (13th) Members Plenary sessions Voting results Presidium Standing Committee Chairman: Li Zhanshu Vice-Chairpersons Top-ranked: Wang Chen Secretary-General: Yang Zhenwu Special committees Ethnic Affairs Constitution and Law Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Financial and Economic Affairs Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Foreign Affairs Overseas Chinese Affairs Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Agriculture and Rural Affairs Social Development Affairs Legislation Law Elections
Presidency President (list): Xi Jinping Presidential spouse: Peng Liyuan Presidential Office Chief: Ding Xuexiang Vice-President: Wang Qishan
Executive State Council (Central People's Government) Li Keqiang Cabinet II Premier (list): Li Keqiang Vice-Premiers (list) Han Zheng Sun Chunlan Hu Chunhua Liu He State Councilors Wei Fenghe Wang Yong Wang Yi Xiao Jie Zhao Kezhi Secretary-General: Xiao Jie Cabinet-level departments National Development & Reform Commission Central bank National Audit Office General Office Secretary-General Deputy Secretary-Generals State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission Most Central Enterprises
Military Central Military Commission (CMC) Chairman (supreme commander): Xi Jinping Vice-Chairmen: Xu Qiliang Zhang Youxia Members: Wei Fenghe Li Zuocheng Miao Hua Zhang Shengmin Departments: General Office Joint Staff Chief: Li Zuocheng Political Work Director: Miao Hua Logistic Support Equipment Development Training & Administration National Defense Mobilization Discipline Inspection Secretary: Zhang Shengmin National armed forces: People's Liberation Army Theater commands  People's Armed Police  China Coast Guard  Militia State Council National Defense Mobilization Commission Chairman: Li Keqiang Ministry of National Defense Minister: Wei Fenghe Ministry of Veterans Affairs State Administration for Sci., Tech. & Industry for National Defense Military history Armed conflicts Military modernization Military reform since 2015 CMC Leading Group for Military Reform Leader: Xi Jinping
Supervision Corruption in China Anti-corruption campaign since 2012 CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (19th) Secretary: Zhao Leji Deputy Secretaries Yang Xiaodu Zhang Shengmin Liu Jinguo Yang Xiaochao Li Shulei Xu Lingyi Xiao Pei Chen Xiaojiang Secretary-General: Yang Xiaochao National Supervisory Commission Director: Yang Xiaodu Central Leading Group for Inspection Work Leader: Zhao Leji Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Military Commission Secretary: Zhang Shengmin Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong) Commission Against Corruption (Macau)
Judiciary Law enforcement CPC Central Politics and Law Commission Secretary: Guo Shengkun Supreme People's Court President: Zhou Qiang People's Courts Judicial Police Supreme People's Procuratorate Procurator-General: Zhang Jun People's Procuratorates Judicial Police State Council Ministry of Public Security Minister: Zhao Kezhi (State Councilor) Public Security Organs People's Police State Immigration Administration Local public security bureaus Ministry of State Security Minister: Chen Wenqing State Security Organs People's Police Ministry of Justice Minister: Fu Zhenghua Judicial Administrative Organs People's Police Bureau of Prison Administration Urban Management (chengguan) Judiciary of Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Department of Justice Prosecutions Division Law enforcement in Hong Kong Security Bureau Regular Disciplined Services Hong Kong Police Force Judiciary of Macau Court of Final Appeal Public Prosecutions Office Secretariat for Security Macau Security Force Unitary Police Services Public Security Police Judiciary Police
Publicity Central Leading Group for Propaganda and Ideology Leader: Wang Huning Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization Director: Wang Huning Deputy Director: Huang Kunming Central Publicity (Propaganda) Department Head: Huang Kunming General Administration of Press and Publication National Film Bureau State Council Information Office China Daily Ministry of Culture and Tourism National Radio and Television Administration China Media Group China Central Television China Global Television Network China National Radio China Radio International Xinhua News Agency Reference News China News Service People's Daily Global Times China Today Censorship in China Radio jamming Media of China Internal media Publishing industry in China Internet in China Internet censorship Great Firewall Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Director: Xi Jinping Deputy director: Li Keqiang Cyberspace Administration of China Director: Xu Lin
Hong Kong Macau Central Coordination Group for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Leader: Han Zheng HK & Macau Affairs Office Director: Zhang Xiaoming Liaison Office in Hong Kong Liaison Office in Macau One country, two systems Special administrative regions Hong Kong Basic Law Chief Executive: Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Hong Kong SAR Government Politics of Hong Kong Independence movement Mainland & HK CEPA Macao Basic Law Chief Executive: Chui Sai On Macau SAR Government Politics of Macau Mainland & Macau CEPA
Cross-Strait relations Cross-Strait relations Chinese Civil War One-China policy Taiwan independence movement Anti-Secession Law Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement Chinese unification Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs Leader: Xi Jinping Deputy Leader: Wang Yang Taiwan Affairs Office Director: Zhang Zhijun Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits
Foreign relations Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director: Xi Jinping Deputy Director: Li Keqiang Secretary-General: Yang Jiechi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Wang Yi (State Councilor) Spokespersons Diplomatic missions Diplomatic missions in China Foreign aid to China Chinese foreign aid International Development Cooperation Agency Ministry of Commerce Ministry of National Defense International Military Cooperation Office NPC Foreign Affairs Committee CPC International Liaison Department State Council Information Office State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Chinese nationality law Chinese passports (Hong Kong; Macau) Visa requirements for Chinese citizens (Hong Kong, Macau) Visa policy of China (Hong Kong; Macau) State Immigration Administration Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Panda diplomacy Beijing Consensus Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Belt and Road Initiative Silk Road Fund Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank BRICS New Development Bank China and the United Nations China and the World Trade Organization China–United States relations China–Russia relations China–European Union relations China–Africa relations
Related topics Administrative divisions Hukou system Family planning Ethnic minorities
Other countries Atlas

The political leadership of the People's Republic of China is in the hands of several offices.

CPC Leaders after PRC established

Order	Image	Chairmen / General Secretaries	Term Start	Term End
1		Mao Zedong (毛泽东 / 毛澤東) (1893-12-26)26 December 1893 - 9 September 1976(1976-09-09) (aged 82)	19 June 1945	9 September 1976
2		Hua Guofeng (华国锋 / 華國鋒) (1921-02-16)16 February 1921 - 20 August 2008(2008-08-20) (aged 87)	7 October 1976	28 June 1981
3		Hu Yaobang (胡耀邦) (1915-11-20)20 November 1915 - 15 April 1989(1989-04-15) (aged 73)	29 June 1981	11 September 1982
1		Hu Yaobang	11 September 1982	15 January 1987
Acting		Zhao Ziyang (赵紫阳 / 趙紫陽) (1919-10-17)17 October 1919 - 17 January 2005(2005-01-17) (aged 85)	16 January 1987	1 November 1987
2			2 November 1987	23 June 1989
3		Jiang Zemin (江泽民 / 江澤民) (1926-08-17) 17 August 1926	24 June 1989	15 November 2002
4		Hu Jintao (胡锦涛 / 胡錦濤) (1942-12-21) 21 December 1942	15 November 2002	15 November 2012
5		Xi Jinping (习近平 / 習近平) (1953-06-15) 15 June 1953	15 November 2012	Present

Heads of the People's Republic of China

№	Portrait	Presidents	Term	Term of office		Vice Presidents
1		Mao Zedong 毛泽东（毛澤東） (1893–1976) Beijing At-large	CP	1 October 1949 (acting)	27 September 1954	Zhu De Liu Shaoqi Soong Ching-ling Zhang Lan Li Jishen Gao Gang
1	27 September 1954	27 April 1959	Zhu De
2		Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇（劉少奇） (1898–1969) Beijing At-large	2	27 April 1959	21 December 1964	Soong Ching-ling Dong Biwu
3	21 December 1964	31 October 1968 (ousted)
—		Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄（宋慶齡） (1893–1981) Shanghai At-large Dong Biwu 董必武 (1886-1975) Hubei At-large	3 (cont)	31 October 1968 (acting)	24 February 1972 (resigned) 17 January 1975	vacant
*		as NPCSC Chairman Zhu De 朱德 (1886–1976) Sichuan At-large	4	17 January 1975	6 July 1976 (died in office)	vacant
*		as NPCSC Chairwoman Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄（宋慶齡） (1893–1981) Shanghai At-large	4 (cont)	6 July 1976	5 March 1978	vacant
*		as NPCSC Chairman Ye Jianying 叶剑英（葉劍英） (1897–1986) Guangdong At-large (54-59) PLA At-large (59-83)	5	5 March 1978	16 May 1981	vacant
—		as Honorary President Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄（宋慶齡） (1893–1981) Shanghai At-large	5 (cont)	16 May 1981	28 May 1981	vacant
*		as NPCSC Chairman Ye Jianying 叶剑英（葉劍英） (1897–1986) Guangdong At-large (54-59) PLA At-large (59-83)	5 (cont)	28 May 1981	18 June 1983	vacant
3		Li Xiannian 李先念 (1909–1992) Hubei At-large	6	18 June 1983	8 April 1988	Ulanhu
4		Yang Shangkun 杨尚昆（楊尚昆） (1907-1998) Sichuan At-large	7	8 April 1988	27 March 1993	Wang Zhen
5		Jiang Zemin 江泽民（江澤民） (1926-) Shanghai At-large	8	27 March 1993	15 March 1998	Rong Yiren
			9	15 March 1998	23 March 2003	Hu Jintao
6		Hu Jintao 胡锦涛（胡錦濤） (1942-) Guizhou At-large (88-93,98-03) Tibet At-large (93-98,03-08) Zhejiang At-large (08-)	10	23 March 2003	15 March 2008	Zeng Qinghong
			11	15 March 2008	14 March 2013	Xi Jinping
7		Xi Jinping 习近平（習近平） (1953-)	12	14 March 2013	Incumbent	Li Yuanchao

Premiers of the People's Republic of China

№	Portrait	Premiers	Term	Term of office		Days
1		Zhou Enlai 周恩来（周恩來） (1898-1976) Beijing At-large	CP	1 October 1949 (acting)	15 September 1954	1810
			1	15 September 1954	18 April 1959	1676
			2	18 April 1959	21 December 1964	2074
3	21 December 1964	4 January 1975	3666
4	4 January 1975	8 January 1976†	369
Geneva Conference in 1954, Asian-African Conference, 1972 Nixon visit to China, Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution †Died in office (cancer)			Total 9595
2		Hua Guofeng 华国锋（華國鋒） (1921-2008) Hunan At-large	4 (cont)	4 February 1976 (acting)	7 April 1976	63
			7 April 1976	5 March 1978	697
5	5 March 1978	10 September 1980*	920
Two Whatevers, Tiananmen Incident, Downfall of the Gang of Four, Sino-Vietnamese War, One Child Policy * Ousted			Total 1680
3		Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳（趙紫陽） (1919-2005) Beijing At-large	5 (cont)	10 September 1980 (acting)	6 June 1983	999
			6	6 June 1983	24 November 1987§	1632
Chinese economic reform, Sino-British Joint Declaration, Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau, Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 § Resigned			Total 2631
4		Li Peng 李鹏（李鵬） (1928-) Beijing At-large	6 (cont)	24 November 1987 (acting)	25 March 1988	122
			7	25 March 1988	15 March 1993	1816
8	15 March 1993	17 March 1998	1828
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Three Gorges Dam, Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong			Total 3766
5		Zhu Rongji 朱镕基（朱鎔基） (1928-) Hunan At-large	9	17 March 1998	16 March 2003	1825
			Transfer of sovereignty over Macau, accession to the WTO			Total 1825
6		Wen Jiabao 温家宝（溫家寶） (1942-) Gansu At-large	10	16 March 2003	16 March 2008	1827
			11	16 March 2008	15 March 2013	1825
SARs outbreak, Anti-Secession Law, H5N1 avian flu outbreak, 2008 Sichuan earthquake			Total 3652
7		Li Keqiang 李克强（李克強） (1955-)	12	15 March 2013	Incumbent	2038
			Lushan earthquake			Total 2038

Chairmen of the NPC Standing Committee

I#	T#	Chairman	Took office	Left office
1	1	Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇（劉少奇）	September 15, 1954	April 28, 1959
2	2	Zhu De 朱德	April 28, 1959	January 4, 1965
	3		January 4, 1965	January 17, 1975
	4		January 17, 1975	July 6, 1976
—		Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄（宋慶齡）	July 6, 1976 (acting)	March 5, 1978
3	5	Ye Jianying 叶剑英（葉劍英）	March 5, 1978	June 18, 1983
4	6	Peng Zhen 彭真	June 18, 1983	April 13, 1988
5	7	Wan Li 万里（萬里）	April 13, 1988	March 27, 1993
6	8	Qiao Shi 乔石（喬石）	March 27, 1993	March 15, 1998
7	9	Li Peng 李鹏（李鵬）	March 15, 1998	March 15, 2003
8	10	Wu Bangguo 吴邦国（吳邦國）	March 15, 2003	March 15, 2008
	11		March 15, 2008	March 14, 2013
9	12	Zhang Dejiang 张德江（張德江）	March 14, 2013	Incumbent

Chairmen of the CPPCC National Committee

I#	T#	Chairperson	Took office	Left office
01	01	Mao Zedong 毛泽东（毛澤東）	October 1949	December 1954
02	02	Zhou Enlai 周恩来（周恩來）	December 1954	April 1959
	03		April 1959	January 1965
	04		January 1965	January 1976
During this interval, the chair was vacant. (January 1976 -March 1978)
03	05	Deng Xiaoping 邓小平（鄧小平）	March 1978	June 1983
04	06	Deng Yingchao 邓颖超（鄧穎超）	June 1983	April 1988
05	07	Li Xiannian 李先念	April 1988	June 1992
During this interval, the chair was vacant. (June 1992 - March 1993)
06	08	Li Ruihuan 李瑞环（李瑞環）	March 1993	March 1998
	09		March 1998	March 2003
07	10	Jia Qinglin 贾庆林（賈慶林）	March 2003	March 2008
	11		March 2008	March 2013
08	12	Yu Zhengsheng 俞正声（俞正聲）	March 2013	Incumbent

Chairmen of the CPC Central Military Commission

#	Picture	Name	Took office	Left office
1		Mao Zedong	8 September 1954	9 September 1976
2		Hua Guofeng	7 October 1976	28 June 1981
3		Deng Xiaoping	28 June 1981	9 November 1989
4		Jiang Zemin	9 November 1989	19 September 2004
5		Hu Jintao	September 19, 2004	November 15, 2012
6		Xi Jinping	November 15, 2012	Incumbent