The State Council of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Central People's Government, is the chief administrative authority and national
cabinet. It is constitutionally the highest administrative organ of the country and the executive organ of the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...
, the
highest organ of state power
The supreme state organ of power, also known as the highest state organ of power, is the representative organ in communist states that functions as the sole branch of government according to the principle of unified power. For example, the governm ...
. It is composed of a premier, vice-premiers, state councilors, ministers, chairpersons of commissions, an auditor-general, the governor of the
People's Bank of China
The People's Bank of China (officially PBC and unofficially PBOC) is the central bank of the People's Republic of China. It is responsible for carrying out monetary policy as determined by the ''PRC People's Bank Law'' and the ''PRC Commercia ...
, and a secretary-general.
The premier of the State Council is responsible for the State Council and exercises overall leadership of its work. The secretary-general of the State Council, under the leadership of the premier, is responsible for handling the daily work of the State Council and heads the General Office of the State Council. The
executive meeting of the State Council, consisting of the premier, vice-premiers, state councilors, and the secretary-general, is held two to three times a month, while the
plenary meeting
A plenary session or plenum is a session of a conference or deliberative assembly in which all parties or members are present. Such a session may include a broad range of content, from keynotes to panel discussions, and is not necessarily rel ...
, consisting of all members of the State Council, is held every six months.
The State Council directly oversees provincial-level People's Governments, and in practice maintains membership with top levels of the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
(CCP). The State Council is legally required to implement the policies of the CCP. Aside from a few, members of the State Council are also members of the CCP's
Central Committee.
Organization
The State Council is described by the Chinese constitution as the executive organ of the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...
(NPC), as well as the "highest state administrative organ".
Constitutionally, the main functions of the State Council are to formulate administrative measures, issue decisions and orders, and monitor their implementation; draft legislative bills for submission to the NPC or its Standing Committee; and prepare the economic plan and the state budget for deliberation and approval by the NPC.
The State Council has flexibility in decision-making, especially with regard to economic matters, but the
Politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the highest organ of the central committee in communist parties. The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in socialist and Islamist parties, such as the UK Labour Party's NEC or the Poli ...
has ultimate authority.
According to the
''Organic Law of the State Council'', the
CCP Central Committee exercises leadership over the State Council.
The law also stipulates the State Council must follow the
CCP's ideology and policies.
Composition
The State Council is composed of the
premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
, several
vice premiers, several
state councillor
A State Councillor of the People's Republic of China () serves as a senior vice leader within the State Council of the PRC, State Council and shares responsibilities with the Vice Premier of China, Vice Premiers in assisting the Premier of China, ...
s, ministers of ministries, directors of committees, the auditor general, and the
secretary-general
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
. The premier leads the State Council
and is appointed by the NPC upon the nomination by the
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
,
though in practice the premier is chosen within the CCP leadership, including the
Politburo Standing Committee
The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) an ...
.
The vice premiers (one executive and generally three others), state councillors, and a secretary-general (who normally also serves as a state councillor) all assist the premier.
The premier leads the
Leading Party Members Group, which responsible for overseeing the implementation of CCP Central Committee policies in the State Council.
Each vice premier oversees certain areas of administration in support of the premier. In practice, the vice premiers and State Councillors assume responsibility for one or more sectors or issues, and remain in contact with the various bodies responsible for policy related to that area. This allows the Standing Committee to oversee a wide range of government functions. Each State Councillor performs duties as designated by the Premier. The secretary-general heads the General Office which handles the day-to-day work of the State Council.
The State Council includes 26 constituent departments, and oversees the
province-level governments throughout China.
Each ministry supervises one sector. Commissions outrank ministries and set policies for and coordinate the related activities of different administrative organs. Offices deal with matters of ongoing concern. The establishment, dissolution, or merger of the constituent departments are proposed by the premier and decided by the NPC or its Standing Committee.
Bureaus and administrations rank below ministries. In addition to the ministries, there are 38 centrally administered government organizations that report directly to the state council. The heads of these organizations attend full meetings of the state committee on an irregular basis.
The State Council controls the
Ministry for National Defense but does not control the People's Liberation Army, which is instead controlled by the
Central Military Commission (CMC). The State Council previously had joint command over the
People's Armed Police
)
, abbreviation = PAP ("People's Armed Police") CAPF ("Chinese Armed Police Force"), formerly abbreviated''Wujing'' ( zh , s = 武警 , p = Wǔjǐng , l = Armed Police , labels = no ), or WJ as on vehicle license plates
, patch ...
(PAP) together with the CMC, principally through the
Ministry of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security can refer to:
* Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil)
* Ministry of Public Security of Burundi
* Ministry of Public Security (Chile)
* Ministry of Public Security (China)
* Ministry of Public Security of Co ...
, though 2018 reforms placed the PAP solely under CMC command.
Meetings
The
plenary meeting of the State Council meets every six months, composed of all members of the State Council. Between meetings it is guided by an
executive meeting of the State Council which is held two to three times a month, and can be called at the discretion of the premier.
The Executive Meeting is composed of the premier, vice premiers, state councilors, and the secretary-general.
Members
Executive Meeting
Plenary Meeting
The plenary meeting of the State Council is hosted by the Premier, joined by Vice Premiers, State Councillors, Ministers in charge of Ministries and Commissions, the Governor of the People's Bank, the Auditor-General, and the Secretary-General. It usually runs bi-annually and when necessary, non-members can be invited to participate.
See also
*
Department of State Affairs in the
Three Departments and Six Ministries
The Three Departments and Six Ministries () system was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It was also used by Balhae (698–926) and Goryeo (918–1392) and ...
system
*
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
:
Central Secretariat →
Grand Secretariat
*
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
:
Grand Secretariat →
Grand Council →
Cabinet
*
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
: State Council (1912–28) →
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
(1928–present)
*
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
: Government Administration Council of the
Central People's Government (1949–54);
Constituent departments of the PRC
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Council Of The People's Republic Of China
China, People's Republic of, State Council
Government agencies established in 1954
1954 establishments in China