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The State Council of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Central People's Government, is the chief administrative authority and the national cabinet of China. It is constitutionally the highest administrative organ of the country and the executive organ of the National People's Congress, the highest organ of state power. It is composed of the premier, vice premiers, state councilors, ministers, chairpersons of commissions, the auditor-general, the governor of the People's Bank of China, and the secretary-general.
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| 中华人民共和国国务院 Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Guówùyuàn | |
.svg) | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 27 September 1954 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Type | Executive body of the National People's Congress Highest organ of State administration |
| Jurisdiction | Government of the People's Republic of China |
| Headquarters | State Council Office Secretariat, Zhongnanhai, Beijing[1] |
| Agency executives | |
| Child agencies | |
| Website | english |
| State Council of the People's Republic of China | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国国务院 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國國務院 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | "People's Republic of China State Affairs Court" | ||||||||
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| State Council (commonly used abbreviation) | |||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国务院 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國務院 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | "The Court of State Affairs" | ||||||||
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| Central People's Government (Constitutional synonym[2]) | |||||||||
| Chinese | 中央人民政府 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Central People Government | ||||||||
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The premier 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 councillors and the secretary-general, meets two to three times a month, while the plenary session, consisting of all members of the State Council, meets 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 (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.
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The State Council is described by the Chinese constitution as the executive organ of the National People's Congress (NPC), as well as the "highest state administrative organ".[3] 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.[3] The State Council has flexibility in decision-making, especially with regard to economic matters, but the Politburo has ultimate authority.[4]
In 2024, during the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, the Organic Law of the State Council was amended to mandate the CCP Central Committee's leadership over the State Council.[5][6] The amended law also stipulates the State Council must follow the CCP's ideology and policies.[5]
Composition
The State Council is composed of the premier, several vice premiers, several state councillors, ministers of ministries, directors of committees, the auditor general, and the secretary-general. The premier leads the State Council[7]: 58 and is appointed by the NPC upon the nomination by the president,[3] though in practice the premier is chosen within the CCP leadership, including the Politburo Standing Committee.[8] 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.[9]
Each vice premier oversees certain areas of administration in support of the premier.[10] 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.[11] 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.[9]
The State Council includes 26 constituent departments, and oversees the province-level governments throughout China.[4] 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.[9] 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.[citation needed]
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).[12] The State Council previously had joint command over the People's Armed Police (PAP) together with the CMC, principally through the Ministry of Public Security, though 2018 reforms placed the PAP solely under CMC command.[13]: 15
Meetings
The plenary session 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.[14] The Executive Meeting is composed of the premier, vice premiers, state councilors, and the secretary-general.[9]
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Executive Meeting
| # | Office | Portrait | Name | Party | Party memberships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Premier |  |
Li Qiang 李强 |
CCP | Politburo Standing Committee Secretary, State Council Party Group | |
| 2 | Vice Premier
(first-ranked) |
.jpg) |
Ding Xuexiang 丁薛祥 |
CCP | Politburo Standing Committee Deputy Secretary, State Council Party Group | |
| 3 | Vice Premier |  |
He Lifeng 何立峰 |
CCP | Politburo State Council Party Group | |
| 4 | Vice Premier | .jpg) |
Zhang Guoqing 张国清 |
CCP | Politburo State Council Party Group | |
| 5 | Vice Premier | .jpg) |
Liu Guozhong 刘国中 |
CCP | Politburo State Council Party Group | |
| 6 | State Councillor Minister of Public Security |
.jpg) |
Wang Xiaohong 王小洪 |
CCP | Secretariat Deputy Secretary, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission State Council Party Group | |
| 7 | State Councillor Secretary-General of the State Council |
Wu Zhenglong 吴政隆 |
CCP | State Council Party Group Secretary, State Council Organs Party Group | ||
| 8 | State Councillor |  |
Shen Yiqin 谌贻琴 |
CCP | State Council Party Group | |
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.[15][non-primary source needed]
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- Department of State Affairs in the Three Departments and Six Ministries system
- Ming dynasty: Central Secretariat → Grand Secretariat
- Qing dynasty: Grand Secretariat → Grand Council → Cabinet
- Republic of China: State Council (1912–28) → Executive Yuan (1928–present)
- People's Republic of China: Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government (1949–54); Constituent departments of the PRC
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