Government of the People's Republic of China

PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT

President: Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao was born in December 1942 in the city of Jixi in the Anhui Province. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1964 and began to work in July 1965 after he graduated from the Water Conservancy Engineering Department of Tsinghua University.

1998-1999: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice president of the People's Republic of China, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

1999-2002: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, vice president of the People's Republic of China, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

2002-March 2003: General secretary of the CPC Central Committee, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and vice president of the People's Republic of China.

March 15, 2003: Elected president of the People's Republic of China.

September 19, 2004: Elected chairman of the Central Military Commission.

March 13, 2005: Elected chairman of the state Central Military Commission.

Vice-president: Zeng Qinghong
Zeng Qinghong, a native of Ji'an, Jiangxi Province, was born in July 1939. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1960 and began working in July 1963, after graduating from the Automatic Control Department of the Beijing Institute of Technology. He is an engineer.

He is now member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

Prime minister: Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao, a native of Tianjin, was born in September 1942. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1965 and began working in September 1967. He graduated with a major of geological structure from the Beijing Institute of Geology.

1960-1965: Student majoring in geological surveying and prospecting of the No. 1 Department of Geology and Minerals at Beijing Institute of Geology.

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and premier of the State Council.

Foreign minister: Li Zhaoxing
Li Zhaoxing was born in Shandong Province in October 1940. He graduated from Beijing University in 1964.

1995-1998 Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

1998-2001 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United States.

2001-2003 Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
2003- Minister of Foreign Affairs.

STRUCTURE OF THE STATE

THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power in China. Its members are selected for a term of five years. It exercises legislative power, revises and implements the Constitution; examines and approves national development plans and the state budgets and reports on their implementation; elects the highest government officials, such as the members of the Standing Committee of the NPC, the state president and vice-president, decides on the premier and other members of the State Council, and elects the chairman and other members of the Central Military Commission, the president of the Supreme People’s Court, and the procurator-general of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. The NPC also has the power to recall the above-mentioned personnel.

STANDING COMMITTEE
Permanent body of the NPC, the Standing Committee, when the NPC is not in session, exercises the power of the highest state organ, is under the supervision of the full congress of the NPC, is responsible to and reports its work to the full congress of the NPC. According to the present Constitution, the NPC and its Standing Committee jointly exercise the power of legislation. It also interprets and supervises the enforcement of the constitution. The Standing Committee is also charged with supervising the work of other state organs and decides on the the choice of government officials when the NPC is not in session and it has the power to ratify treaties and agreements and to declare war when the NPC is not in session.

STATUS OF THE PRESIDENT
The president exercises the power of the head of the state, according to decisions of the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee. In foreign affairs, the president represents the People’s Republic of China and enjoys the highest right of representation of the state.

THE MILITARY
The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China is the highest state military organ and it is in charge of commanding the entire armed forces in the country. The Commission led by the president of the Republic and consisting of vice chairmen and members, is elected for a term of five years.

THE CONSTITUTION
The present constitution is the fourth one drafted in the history of the People's Republic of China. Is was approved on December 4, 1982 during the Fifth Session of the NPC. The basic principles of the constitution were established during the writing of the first draft in 1954. In addition to the preamble, the Constitution is divided into four chapters: General Principles; Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens; the Structure of the State; and the National Flag, National Emblem and Capital. These, in turn, contain 138 articles.

RULING PARTY
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the People's Republic of China under a one-party system since the country's establishment in 1949. The CPC has both central and local organizations. At the top is the Central Committee and, while when it is not in session, the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee exercise the power of the Central Committee. Both the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee are elected by the plenary session of the Central Committee.

The CPC is organized according to its program, constitution and the principle of democratic centralism. The Constitution of the Communist Party of China stipulates that any Chinese citizen who has reached the age of 18 and who accepts the program and constitution of the CPC and pays membership dues regularly may apply for membership in the CPC.

THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE (CPPCC)
Many major issues concerning economic construction, political life, social life and the united front go through consultation in the CPPCC. Policies, regulations and laws taken by the state are discussed are reviewed in order to ensure conformity with the demands and wishes of the great majority of the people and with the rational ideas of the minority. The CPPCC National Committee serves a term of five years. It has a chairman, a number of vice chairmen and a secretary-general. Each year the National Committee holds a plenary session presided over by the Standing Committee of the National Committee.

JUDICIAL ORGANS

STATE TRIAL ORGAN
The Supreme People's Court is the highest trial organ in the country and exercises its right of trial independently. It also supervises the trial practices of local people's courts and special people's courts at various levels. It reports to the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee. The right of appointment and removal of the president and vice presidents as well as members of the trial committee of the Supreme People's Court lies with the National People's Congress.

STATE PROSECUTION ORGAN
The people's procuratorates in the People's Republic of China are law supervision organs of the state. The state has the Supreme People's Procuratorate, local people's procuratorates and military procuratorates. The people's procuratorates have four levels, namely the grassroots, intermediate, higher and supreme people's procuratorates. The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) is the highest procuratorial organ of the state and represents the state in independently implementing the right of prosecution. It is reports its work to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Its major tasks are to exercise leadership over local people's procuratorates at all levels and special people's procuratorates in implementing their supervision functions and ensure the unity and correct implementation of state laws.

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