China Government, Constitution, Flag, and Leaders

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China Government

Browse the listing below to find government information for China, including flags, leaders, and constitution information. Factrover also has complete information on China at its China Country Page.

  • China People
  • China Geography
  • China Economy
  • China History

    Government
    Type: Communist party-led state.
    Constitution: December 4, 1982.Independence: Unification under the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty 221 BC; Qing (Ch'ing or Manchu) Dynasty replaced by a republic on February 12, 1912; People's Republic established October 1, 1949.
    Branches: Executive--president, vice president, State Council, premier.     Legislative--unicameral National People's Congress. Judicial--Supreme People's Court.
    Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (the P.R.C .considers Taiwan to be its 23rd province); 5 autonomous regions, including Tibet; 4 municipalities directly under the State Council.
    Political parties: Chinese Communist Party, 63 million members; 8 minor parties under communist supervision.
    Suffrage: Universal at 18.

    China Government
    Chinese Communist Party
    The more than 63 million member CCP, authoritarian in structure and ideology, continues to dominate government. Nevertheless, China's population, geographical vastness, and social diversity frustrate attempts to rule by fiat from Beijing. Central leaders must increasingly build consensus for new policies among party members, local and regional leaders, influential non-party members, and the population at large.

    In periods of relative liberalization, the influence of people and organizations outside the formal party structure has tended to increase, particularly in the economic realm. This phenomenon is most apparent today in the rapidly developing coastal region. Nevertheless, in all important government, economic, and cultural institutions in China, party committees work to see that party and state policy guidance is followed and that non-party members do not create autonomous organizations that could challenge party rule. Party control is tightest in government offices and in urban economic, industrial, and cultural settings; it is considerably looser in the rural areas, where the majority of the people live.

    Theoretically, the party's highest body is the Party Congress, which is supposed to meet at least once every 5 years. The primary organs of power in the Communist Party include:

  • The Politburo Standing Committee, which currently consists of seven members;
  • The Politburo, consisting of 22 full members, including the members of the Politburo Standing Committee (one seat vacant due to a death);
  • The Secretariat, the principal administrative mechanism of the CCP, headed by the General Secretary;
  • The Central Military Commission;
  • The Discipline Inspection Commission, which is charged with rooting out corruption and malfeasance among party cadres.

    State Structure
    The Chinese Government has always been subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); its role is to implement party policies. The primary organs of state power are the National People's Congress (NPC), the President (the head of state), and the State Council. Members of the State Council include Premier Wen Jiabao (the head of government), a variable number of vice premiers (now four), five state councilors (protocol equivalents of vice premiers but with narrower portfolios), and 22 ministers and four State Council commission directors.

    Under the Chinese constitution, the NPC is the highest organ of state power in China. It meets annually for about 2 weeks to review and approve major new policy directions, laws, the budget, and major personnel changes. These initiatives are presented to the NPC for consideration by the State Council after previous endorsement by the Communist Party's Central Committee. Although the NPC generally approves State Council policy and personnel recommendations, various NPC committees hold active debate in closed sessions, and changes may be made to accommodate alternate views.

    When the NPC is not in session, its permanent organ, the Standing Committee, exercises state power.
    source: http://www.state.gov
  • China People
  • China Geography
  • China Economy
  • China History