| President of the People's Republic of China | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国主席 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國主席 | ||||||
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| alternative name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | （中国）国家主席 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | （中國）國家主席 | ||||||
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Thepresident of China, officially thepresident of the People's Republic of China, is thestate representative of thePeople's Republic of China. On its own, it is aceremonial office and has no real power in China'spolitical system, though since 1993, the post has been concurrently held by thegeneral secretary of theChinese Communist Party (CCP) andchairman of the Central Military Commission, who is China'sde factotop leader.[3] While the office has many of the characteristics of ahead of state, theConstitution of China does not define it as such. The Chinese president was the third to fifth highest-ranking position when it was re-established in 1982.
The presidency is a part of thesystem of people's congress based on the principle ofunified power in which theNational People's Congress (NPC) functions as the only branch of government and as thehighest state organ of power. The presidency is a state organ of the NPC and equivalent to, for instance, theState Council and theNational Supervisory Commission, rather than a political office, unlike thepremier of the State Council. Together with theNPC Standing Committee, the presidency performs certain functions performed by a head of state in most other countries. The president can engage in state affairs with the consent of the NPC Standing Committee. While the presidency is not a powerful organ in itself, since 27 March 1993, the president has concurrently served asgeneral secretary of theCentral Committee of theChinese Communist Party (CCP) andchairman of theCentral Military Commission (CMC), making the incumbent China'sparamount leader andsupreme commander of the armed forces.
Mao Zedong, theChairman of the Chinese Communist Party, rejected that the president of China functioned as China's head of state, arguing instead that the major differences between theSoviet system and the Chinese was that the presidency acted as a representative of the statecollective leadership.[4]Liu Shaoqi in his report on the1954 Constitution of China, stated that the powers of the Chinese head of state was jointly exercised by the permanent organ, theStanding Committee of the National People's Congress and the president.[5] The president has no independent powers other than those bestowed by China's permanent organ.[6]
The first state representative of China dates back to theRepublican era when the post was held bySun Yat-sen upon the establishment of the Republic on 1 January 1912. The presidency in its current form was the chairman of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, which was established on 1 October 1949 by a decision of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference. It was replaced inConstitution in 1954 with the office of state chairman. It was successively held byMao Zedong andLiu Shaoqi. Liu fell into political disgrace during theCultural Revolution, after which the presidency became vacant. The post of chairman wasabolished under theConstitution of 1975, and the function of state representative was bestowed on thechairman of the NPC Standing Committee. The office was reinstated in the Constitution of 1982 but with reduced powers and a stipulation that the president could not serve more than two consecutive terms. Theterm limits wereabolished in 2018. Since 1982, the title's official English-language translation has been "president", although the Chinese title remains unchanged.[note 1]
The office of state chairman (the original English translation) was first established under the1954 Constitution.[7] Though the ceremonial powers of the office were largely identical to those in the current Constitution, the powers of the 1954 office differed from those of the current office in two areas: military and governmental.[7] The state chairman's military powers were defined in the 1954 Constitution as follows: "The Chairman of the People's Republic of China commands the armed forces of the state, and is chairman of theNational Defense Council."[7] The National Defense Council was unique to the 1954 Constitution, and was mandated as the civil command for thePeople's Liberation Army. It was abolished under the 1975 Constitution.
The state chairman's governmental powers were defined in the 1954 Constitution as follows: "The Chairman of the People's Republic of China, whenever necessary, convenes a Supreme State Conference (Chinese:最高国务会议) and acts as its chairman."[7] The members of the Supreme State Conference included the main officers of state, and its views were to be presented to the main organs of state and government, including the National People's Congress and the State and National Defense Councils.[7] The Supreme State Conference was also unique to the 1954 Constitution. It was abolished under the 1975 Constitution and later Constitutions have not included a similar body.
CCP chairman Mao Zedong was the first to hold the office of state chairman. He was elected at thefounding session of the National People's Congress in 1954. At the2nd NPC in 1959, Mao was succeeded byLiu Shaoqi, first-rankedVice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. Liu was reelected as state chairman at the3rd NPC in Jan 1965. However, in 1966, Mao launched theCultural Revolution and by August 1966 Mao and his supporters succeeding in removing Liu from his position as party vice chairman. A few months later Liu was apparently placed under house arrest, and after a prolonged power struggle the 12th Plenum of the 8th Communist Party Congress stripped Liu Shaoqi of all his party and non-party positions on 31 October 1968, including the post of state chairman. This was in violation of the Constitution, which required a vote by the NPC to remove the state chairman.[citation needed] After Liu's removal in 1968, the office of state chairman was vacant. From 1972 to 1975, however, state media referred to Vice State ChairmanDong Biwu as "acting state chairman".[citation needed]
When the4th NPC was convened in 1975, its main act was to adopta new Constitution which eliminated the office of state chairman and emphasized instead the leadership of the Communist Party over the state, including an article that made the CCP chairmansupreme commander of the PLA in concurrence as chairman of the party CMC, while the duties of state representative were transferred to thechairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.[8] The5th NPC was convened two years early, in 1978, anda third Constitution was adopted, which also lacked the office of state chairman, but did place a greater emphasis on the ceremonial roles performed by the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress as state representative.[9][better source needed]
When it was agreed to amend the constitution again in 1980, questions to whether to restore the presidency arose. Research showed that having the NPCSC chairman as the national representative created problems, as the position was equivalent to thespeaker of parliament in other countries.Deng Xiaoping agreed to restore the presidency, but without powers in specific government affairs, saying "It is still necessary to have a President. It is better to have a President to represent the country, but the powers of the President can be defined in a more abstract way. He should not be in charge of specific work or interfere in specific government affairs".[9]
The office was reinstated in thefourth Constitution, adopted by the 5th Session of the 5th NPC in 1982.[9] In the 1982 Constitution, the party developed policy while the state executed it, and the president was conceived of as a ceremonial and replacement figure with a role similar to that of equivalent of figurehead presidents in parliamentary republics. Actual state power was vested in the general secretary of the Communist Party, thepremier, and thechairman of the Central Military Commission. As part of the effort to prevent another leader from rising above the party as Mao had done, all four posts were intended to be held by separate people. The president therefore performed ceremonial duties such as greeting foreign dignitaries and signing the appointment of embassy staff, and did not intervene in the affairs of the State Council or the party. The constitution also mandated term limits for the office, stipulating the president and vice president could not serve more than two consecutive terms.[citation needed]
The posts of the premier, president and CCP general secretary were held by different individuals in the 1980s. That said, in reality political power was concentrated on the chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping. He was effectively the paramount leader, as he had controlled the Party, government and the military from "behind the scenes" without holding any of the three posts. However, presidentsLi Xiannian (1983–1988) andYang Shangkun (1988–1993) were not simple figureheads, but actually significant players in the highest leadership. They derived most of their power from being amongst theEight Elders, rather than the office of president.[10]
In the 1990s, the experiment of separating party and state posts, which led to conflict between Deng Xiaoping and Zhao Ziyang during theTiananmen Square protests of 1989, was terminated. In 1993,Jiang Zemin, who had been general secretary of the CCP and chairman of the Central Military Commission since 1989, assumed the presidency as well, becoming the undisputed top leader of the party and the state.[11][12] Jiang stepped down as president in 2003, handing the post to then–Vice PresidentHu Jintao, the first vice president to assume the office. Hu had already become general secretary in 2002. In turn, Hu vacated both offices for Xi Jinping in 2012 and 2013, who had also previously served as vice president under Hu.[13]
On March 11, 2018, thefirst session of the 13th National People's Congress, by a vote of 2,958 in favor, two opposed and three abstaining, passed aconstitutional amendment that removed the previous term limits for the president and the vice president.[14] Xi explained the decision in terms of needing to align the presidency with his more powerful posts of general secretary of the party and CMC chairman, which do not have term limits.[15]
Article 79 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for being elected for the presidency. To serve as president, one must:
According to the Organic Law of the National People's Congress (NPC), constitutionally China'shighest organ of state power, the president is nominated by theNPC Presidium, the Congress's executive organ.[17][non-primary source needed] However, the nomination is effectively made by the Chinese Communist Party, with the decisions being made among Party leaders.[18] Although the Presidium could theoretically nominate multiple candidates for the presidency, leading the election to be competitive, it has always nominated a single candidate for the office.[18]
After the nomination, the president is elected by the NPC, which also has the power to remove the president and other state officers from office. Elections and removals are decided by majority vote.[16][non-primary source needed] The length of the president's term of office is the same as the NPC, which is 5 years.[16] Since 2018, the president is required torecite theconstitutional oath of office before assuming office.[18]
| No. | Year | Electoral college | Total Seats | President-elect | Voters | For | Against | Abstain | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1954 | 1st National People's Congress | 1226 | Mao Zedong | 1210 | 1210 | 0 | 0 | Elected |
| 2 | 1959 | 2nd National People's Congress | 1235 | Liu Shaoqi | Elected | ||||
| 1964 | 3rd National People's Congress | 3040 | Elected | ||||||
| N/A | 1975 | 4th National People's Congress | 2864 | Presidency vacant | |||||
| 1978 | 5th National People's Congress | 3497 | Presidency abolished | ||||||
| 3 | 1983 | 6th National People's Congress | 2978 | Li Xiannian | Elected | ||||
| 4 | 1988 | 7th National People's Congress | 2970 | Yang Shangkun | 2970 | 2812 | 124 | 34 | Elected |
| 5 | 1993 | 8th National People's Congress | 2977 | Jiang Zemin | 2918 | 2858 | 35 | 25 | Elected |
| 1998 | 9th National People's Congress | 2983 | 2947 | 2882 | 36 | 29 | Elected | ||
| 6 | 2003 | 10th National People's Congress | 2985 | Hu Jintao | 2944 | 2937 | 4 | 3 | Elected |
| 2008 | 11th National People's Congress | 2987 | 2964 | 2956 | 3 | 5 | Elected | ||
| 7 | 2013 | 12th National People's Congress | 2987 | Xi Jinping | 2956 | 2952 | 1 | 3 | Elected |
| 2018 | 13th National People's Congress | 2980 | 2970 | 2970 | 0 | 0 | Elected | ||
| 2023 | 14th National People's Congress | 2977 | 2952 | 2952 | 0 | 0 | Elected | ||
The president functions as the state representative of China both internally and externally.[19] According to the constitution, the presidency is not a position but a state organ that represents the PRC in state activities, but one person serves the presidency.[9][better source needed]
Under the current constitution, instated in 1982 with minor revisions in later years, the president has the power topromulgate laws, select and dismiss the premier (head of government),vice premiers,state councillors as well as ministers of theState Council, grantpresidential pardons, declarestates of emergency, issue mass mobilization orders, and issue state honours. In addition, the president names and dismisses ambassadors to foreign countries and signs and annuls treaties with foreign entities. According to the Constitution, all of these powers require the approval or confirmation of the National People's Congress (NPC),[16][non-primary source needed] which the office is subject to.[19]
The president also conducts state visits on behalf of the People's Republic.[note 2] Under the constitution, the "state visit" clause is the only presidential power that does not stipulate any form of oversight from the NPC. As the vast majority of presidential powers are dependent on the ratification of the NPC, the president is, in essence, a symbolic post without any direct say in the governance of the state. It is, therefore, conceived to mainly function as a symbolic institution of the state rather than an office with true executive powers.[20][21][22]
In theory, the president has discretion in selecting the premier, though in practice, the premier has historically been selected through the top-level discussions of the Chinese Communist Party. Upon the premier's nomination, the NPC convenes to confirm the nomination, but since only one name is on the ballot, it can only approve or reject. To date, it has never rejected a personnel nomination.[23] Since the premier, the head of government in China, is the most important political appointment in the Chinese government, the nomination power, under some circumstances, may give the president real political influence.[24]
The director of theOffice of the President of China is currently Han Shiming.
The presidency has been thesecond-highest-ranking official in China'spolitical system after theCCP general secretary since 1989. The political ranking of the presidency has changed throughout the decades, influenced by the officeholder of the time. 2nd President Liu Shaoqi was also thefirst-ranked vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, and ranked second in the Chinese Communist Party, behind CCP Chairman Mao Zedong.[25] President Li Xiannian was also the 5th ranked member of theCCP Politburo Standing Committee, after the CCP general secretary and Chinese premier.[26] President Yang Shangkun was not a member of CCP Politburo Standing Committee, but he ranked third after CCP general secretary Zhao Ziyang/Jiang Zemin and CMC chairman Deng Xiaoping.[27] Since Jiang Zemin's accession to the office in 1993, the president was also the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, ranking first in party and state.[28]
| Part ofa series on Orders of succession |
| Presidencies |
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The title of the office (Chinese:国家主席;pinyin:Guójiā Zhǔxí), which literally translates to "state chairman", was unchanged in the Chinese text, but a new English translation of "President of the People's Republic of China" has been adopted since 1982, instead of "Chairman of the People's Republic of China".[21]
Article 84 of the Constitution of China. If the office of president falls vacant, then thevice president succeeds to the office. If both offices fall vacant, then thechairman of the NPC Standing Committee temporarily acts as president until the NPC can elect a new president and vice president.[29]
| No. | Position | Incumbent | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vice President of the People's Republic of China | Han Zheng | Communist | |
| 2 | Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | Zhao Leji | Communist | |
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| # | President | Date of birth | Age at ascension (first term) | Time in office (total) | Age at retirement (last term) | Date of death | Longevity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zedong, MaoMao Zedong | 1893122626 December 1893(26 December 1893) | 60 27560 years, 275 days | 04 2124 years, 212 days | 64 12264 years, 122 days | 197609099 September 1976 | 30,20782 years, 258 days |
| 2 | Shaoqi, LiuLiu Shaoqi | 1898112424 November 1898(24 November 1898) | 60 15460 years, 154 days | 09 1879 years, 187 days | 69 34269 years, 342 days | 1969111212 November 1969 | 25,92070 years, 353 days |
| Presidency vacant | |||||||
| acting | Biwu, DongDong Biwu | 188603055 March 1886(5 March 1886) | 85 35685 years, 356 days | 02 3272 years, 327 days | 88 31888 years, 318 days | 197504022 April 1975 | 32,53489 years, 28 days |
| Hon. | Ching-ling, SoongSoong Ching-ling | 1893012727 January 1893(27 January 1893) | 83 16188 years, 109 days | 01 242Honorary[30][31] | – 85 037 | 1981052929 May 1981 | 32,26388 years, 122 days |
| Presidency abolished | |||||||
| 3 | Xiannian, LiLi Xiannian | 1909062323 June 1909(23 June 1909) | 73 36073 years, 360 days | 04 2954 years, 295 days | 78 29078 years, 290 days | 1992062121 June 1992 | 30,31482 years, 364 days |
| 4 | Shangkun, YangYang Shangkun | 190708033 August 1907(3 August 1907) | 80 25080 years, 250 days | 04 3524 years, 352 days | 85 23685 years, 236 days | 1998091414 September 1998 | 33,28091 years, 42 days |
| 5 | Zemin, JiangJiang Zemin | 1926081717 August 1926(17 August 1926) | 66 22266 years, 222 days | 09 3539 years, 353 days | 76 21076 years, 210 days | 2022113030 November 2022 | 35,16996 years, 105 days |
| 6 | Jintao, HuHu Jintao | 1942122121 December 1942(21 December 1942) | 60 08460 years, 84 days | 09 3649 years, 365 days | 70 08470 years, 84 days | Living | 30,28882 years, 337 days (Living) |
| 7 | Jinping, XiXi Jinping | 1953061515 June 1953(15 June 1953) | 59 years, 272 days | 12 years, 254 days (Incumbent) | Incumbent | Living | 26,45972 years, 161 days (Living) |
Since the first president, six presidents have had a spouse during their terms in office. The current spouse isPeng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping.
| No. | Image | Spouse | President | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Jiang Qing | Mao Zedong | 27 September 1954 – 27 April 1959 |
| 2 |  | Wang Guangmei | Liu Shaoqi | 27 April 1959 – 31 October 1968 |
| 3 | .jpg) | Lin Jiamei | Li Xiannian | 18 June 1983 – 8 April 1988 |
| Vacant[note 3] | Yang Shangkun | 8 April 1988 – 27 March 1993 | ||
| 4 |  | Wang Yeping | Jiang Zemin | 27 March 1993 – 15 March 2003 |
| 5 |  | Liu Yongqing | Hu Jintao | 15 March 2003 – 14 March 2013 |
| 6 | _(cropped).jpg) | Peng Liyuan | Xi Jinping | 14 March 2013 – Incumbent |
在我国，国家主席无实质、独立的权力，是"虚位"国家元首。"In our nation, the President does not hold substantive, separate power, and is ceremonial..."
But most of his power stems from his role as general secretary because of how China's political system works: Party institutions and state institutions are technically separate, but the ultimate power comes from the CCP.
Xi Jinping is the most powerful figure in the Chinese political system. He is the President of China, but his real influence comes from his position as theGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
However, the role of party chief is more senior than that of president. At some point, Xi could be given a party position that also enables him to stay on as long as he likes.
If Xi relinquished the presidency in 2023 but remained party chief and chairman of the Central Military commission (CMC), his successor as president would be nothing more than a symbolic figure... "Once the president is neither the party's general secretary nor the CMC chairman, he or she will be hollowed out, just like a body without a soul."
President insists term extension is necessary to align government and party posts
In China, the political job that matters most is the general secretary of the Communist Party. The party controls the military and domestic security forces and sets the policies that the government carries out. China's presidency lacks the authority of the American and French presidencies.
Xi Jinping is often referred to by his ceremonial role asguojia zhuxi, or "state chairman", a title usually translated into English as "president". But it is his position as the party's general secretary that indicates his top status.
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| Politics of province-level divisions (current leaders) |
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