The office of Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council () functions as the deputy to the

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

. Currently, five people serve as deputy secretary-general. The Deputy Secretary-General can hold concurrent positions. In general the Deputy Secretary-General has equivalent administrative rank as a vice minister of the state, though occasionally some Deputy Secretaries General will hold the rank of a minister. Historically, the Deputy Secretary-General has been a powerful position. Its title holders are often involved in the day-to-day management of government and has direct access to the state council's most important officeholders, including the Premier and Vice-Premiers. Many Deputy Secretaries-General are later promoted to higher positions such as leading a ministry or a province.

Ma Kai Ma Kai (; pinyin: ''Mǎ Kǎi''; born June 1946 in Shanghai) was one of the four Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, Vice Premiers of China (Fourth-ranked). He was formerly a State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council ...

and

Wang Yang Wang Yang may refer to: People *Wang Yang (politician) (born 1955), Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference *Wang Yang (Liaoning politician) (born 1957), former provincial official from Liaoni ...

eventually ascended to become Vice-Premier.

List of officeholders

{{State Council of the People's Republic of China State Council of the People's Republic of China