Premier of the People's Republic of China

Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China 中华人民共和国国务院总理
Emblem of the People's Republic of China
Incumbent Li Keqiang since 15 March 2013
Residence	Zhongnanhai
Nominator	the President of the People's Republic of China
Appointer	the National People's Congress
Term length	five years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Zhou Enlai
Formation	27 September 1954 (7009191194560000000♠60 years, 214 days)
Website	State Council

China
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of China
Leadership Leadership generations Collective leadership Paramount leader Current leadership Xi-Li Administration National leaders President (list): Xi Jinping Vice President (list): Li Yuanchao Provincial leaders
Communist Party History Organization National Party Congress (18th) Central Committee (18th) General Secretary (list) Xi Jinping Central Politburo (18th) Standing Committee (list) Central Secretariat Top-ranked secretary: Liu Yunshan Central Military Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping National Security Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (18th) Standing Committee (18th) Secretary: Wang Qishan
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 Chinese Dream
Constitution Law Constitution Current constitution (1982) Previous constitutions 1954 1975 1978 "People's democratic dictatorship" Laws Statutes
Legislative National People's Congress (12th) Members Presidium Standing Committee Chairman: Zhang Dejiang
Executive State Council (Li's Government) Premier (list): Li Keqiang Vice Premiers (list) Zhang Gaoli Liu Yandong Wang Yang Ma Kai State Councilors Secretary-General
United Front Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman: Yu Zhengsheng Political parties
Military Central Military Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping People's Liberation Army People's Armed Police Force State Council National Mobilization Commission Chairman: Li Keqiang Ministry of National Defense Minister: Chang Wanquan People's Armed Police Force National Security Commission Chairman: Xi Jinping
Judiciary Central Politics and Law Commission Secretary: Meng Jianzhu Supreme People's Court President: Zhou Qiang Supreme People's Procuratorate Procurator-General: Cao Jianming
Publicity Leading Group for Propaganda Central Guidance Commission for Building Spiritual Civilization Chairman: Liu Yunshan Propaganda Department Head: Liu Qibao
Foreign relations Foreign aid program China and the United Nations China–United States relations
Related topics Administrative divisions Politics of Hong Kong Politics of Macau Elections Human rights Internet Internet censorship
Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, sometimes also referred to informally as the "Prime Minister", is the Leader of the State Council of China (the "Central People's Government" after 1954), who is the head of government and holds the highest rank (Level 1) in the Civil Service. This position was originally known as Premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government (Chinese: 中央人民政府政务院总理) and changed to its current name in 1954.

The Premier is formally approved by the National People's Congress upon the nomination of the President. In practice, the candidate is chosen through an informal process within the Communist Party of China. Both the President and the Premier are selected once every five years. The Premier has always been a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Powers and duties

The Premier is the highest administrative position in the Government of the People's Republic of China. The Premier is responsible for organizing and administering the Chinese civil bureaucracy. For example the Premier is tasked with planning and implementing national economic, social development and the state budget.^[1] This includes overseeing the various ministries, departments, commissions and statutory agencies and announcing their candidacies to the National People's Congress for Vice-Premiers, State Councillors and ministerial offices. The Premier's powers and responsibilities are codified into the constitution unlike the Prime Minister from the Westminster system as by convention or traditions.^[1]

The Premier does not have command authority over the People's Liberation Army, but the Premier is the head of the National Defense Mobilization Commission of China and deputy head of the National Security Commission which are departments of the armed forces. Since 1980s, there has been a division of responsibilities between the Premier and the General Secretary of the Communist Party wherein the Premier is responsible for the technical details of implementing government policy while the General Secretary gathers the political support necessary for government policy.

In 1989, then Premier Li Peng, in cooperation with the then Chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping, was able to use the office of the Premier to declare martial law in Beijing and order the military crackdown of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

The Premier has been supported by four Vice-Premiers since Deng Xiaoping's reform in 1983. The First-ranked Vice Premier will act in the premier's capacity in their absence.

List of premiers

• 

  1st — Zhou Enlai
  (served: 1949–1976)

• 

  2nd — Hua Guofeng
  (served: 1976–1980)

• 

  3rd — Zhao Ziyang
  (served: 1980–1988)

• 

  4th — Li Peng
  (served: 1988–1998)

• 

  5th — Zhu Rongji
  (served: 1998–2003)

• 

  6th — Wen Jiabao
  (served: 2003–2013)

• 

  7th — Li Keqiang
  (served: 2013–present)

Living former premiers

As of April 2015, there are three living former premiers:

Premier's spouse

Since the first premier, seven had a spouse during term of office.

References

External links

• Official PRC Government Website

See also

• List of premiers of China
• List of leaders of the People's Republic of China
• Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
• President of the People's Republic of China
• Prime Minister of China (disambiguation)
• List of Chinese leaders
• Paramount Leader
• Political position ranking of PRC

Premiers of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai Hua Guofeng Zhao Ziyang Li Peng Zhu Rongji Wen Jiabao Li Keqiang List of premiers of the People's Republic of China

12th State Council of the People's Republic of China (2013-2018) Li Keqiang (Premier) Vice Premiers Zhang Gaoli Liu Yandong Wang Yang Ma Kai State Councilors Yang Jing (also Secretary-General) Chang Wanquan Yang Jiechi Guo Shengkun Wang Yong Ministers Agriculture Han Changfu Civil Affairs Li Liguo Commerce Gao Hucheng Construction Jiang Weixin→Chen Zhenggao Culture Cai Wu→Luo Shugang Defense Chang Wanquan Education Yuan Guiren Finance Lou Jiwei Environment Zhou Shengxian→Chen Jining Foreign Wang Yi Industry and Information Miao Wei Justice Wu Aiying Labor Yin Weimin Public Security Guo Shengkun Resources Jiang Daming Science and Technology Wan Gang State Security Geng Huichang Supervision Huang Shuxian Transport Yang Chuantang Water Chen Lei Commissioners Development Xu Shaoshi Ethnic Affairs Wang Zhengwei Health Li Bin Other bodies Auditor General Liu Jiayi Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan

State Council of the People's Republic of China Li's Government (General Office, Secretary-General) State Council members (Li's Cabinet) (Plenary meeting) Executive meeting Premier Vice Premiers State Councillors Secretary-General Ministers of Ministries and Commissions Auditor-General Ministries and Cabinet-level Commissions Agriculture Civil Affairs Commerce Culture Development and Reform Education Environmental Protection Ethnic Affairs Finance Foreign Affairs Health and Family Planning Housing and Urban-Rural Development Human Resources and Social Security Industry and Information Technology Justice Land and Resources National Audit Office National Defense People's Bank Public Security Science and Technology State Security Supervision Transport Water Resources Special organization State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission Organizations China National Tourism Administration Counselor's Office of the State Council General Administration of Customs State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine State Administration of Government Offices National Bureau of Corruption Prevention National Bureau of Statistics State Administration for Industry and Commerce State Administration for Religious Affairs State Administration of Taxation State Administration of Work Safety State Forestry Administration State General Administration of Sports State Intellectual Property Office Administrative offices Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Information/Internet Legislative Affairs Overseas Chinese Affairs Research Taiwan Affairs Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Anti-cult Institutions Academy of Engineering Academy of Sciences Academy of Social Sciences Banking Regulatory Commission Development Research Center Earthquake Administration Insurance Regulatory Commission Meteorological Administration National Council for Social Security Fund National Natural Science Foundation National School of Administration Securities Regulatory Commission State Archives Administration State Electricity Regulatory Commission Xinhua News Agency State administrations/bureaus administrated by Cabinet-level agencies Atomic Energy Authority Civil Aviation Administration National Administration for the Protection of State Secrets National Energy Administration National Nuclear Safety Administration National Space Administration State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence State Administration of Coal Mine Safety State Administration of Cultural Heritage State Administration of Foreign Exchange State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs State Administration of Grain State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine State Bureau for Letters and Calls State Bureau of Civil Servants State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping State Cryptography Administration State Food and Drug Administration State Language Commission State Oceanic Administration China Coast Guard State Post Bureau China Post State Tobacco Monopoly Administration China National Tobacco Corporation Special Commissions and Steering Committees State Commission for Public Sector Reform Commission Office Commission on Food Safety National Energy Commission Leading Group for Coordinating the South-North Water Transfer Project Leading Group for Coordinating the Three Gorges Dam Project Leading Group for the Transformation of the State Council Other agencies Liaison Office in Hong Kong SAR Liaison Office in Macau SAR People's Armed Police State Council is one in the same as the Central People's Government (constitutionally since 1954)

Politics of China Constitution of China Parties Parties Communist Party Central Committee General Secretary Central Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Central Secretariat Central Commission for Discipline Inspection State organs National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman President Vice President State Council Premier Vice Premier Central Military Commission Chairman People's Liberation Army People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman Politics of province-level divisions Municipalities Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin Provinces Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang Autonomous regions Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Xinjiang Tibet SARs Hong Kong Macau See also Elections