List of presidents of China

This is a list of the heads of state of the Republic of China (ROC) since 1912 and the state representatives of the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 1949.

List of presidents of the Republic (since 1912)

For a more comprehensive list, see List of presidents of the Republic of China.

This is a list of the presidents of the Republic of China (ROC) (1912–present). The Republic of China president is called 總統 (Zǒngtǒng, "President"), and from 1912–1928, 大總統 (Dàzǒngtǒng, "Grand President").

Since 1949, the de facto territory of the ROC is reduced to Taiwan and its surrounding islands, the former previously ruled by Japan from 1895 to 1945, no longer governing mainland China. It continued to represent China in the United Nations until it was expelled on 25 October 1971 and diplomatically by the United States government until 1 January 1979. The President of the ROC is also known as the President of Taiwan due to the territory it governs.

All the names on this list follow the Oriental convention with the family name first and given name second.

Provisional Government:   Tongmenghui   Beiyang clique, etc.
Beiyang Government:   Beiyang clique, etc.   Progressive Party/Research Clique   Communications Clique
Nationalist to Constitutional Government:   Kuomintang   Democratic Progressive Party

Presidents of the Provisional Government
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Assembly (elected)
1		Sun Yat-sen 孫中山 (1866–1925)	1 January 1912	10 March 1912	Tongmenghui		Li Yuanhong (Nonpartisan)	Provisional (1911)
2		Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 (1859–1916)	10 March 1912	10 October 1913	Beiyang clique		Li Yuanhong (Nonpartisan)	Provisional (1912)
Presidents of the Beiyang Government
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Assembly (elected)
1		Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 (1859–1916)	10 October 1913	6 June 1916[note 1][note 2]	Beiyang clique		Li Yuanhong (Progressive)	1st (1913)
2		Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 (1864–1928)	7 June 1916	17 July 1917[note 3][note 4]	Progressive Party		Feng Guozhang (Zhili clique)
—		Feng Guozhang 馮國璋 (1859–1919) (acting)[note 5]	17 July 1917	10 October 1918	Zhili clique	Vacant
3		Xu Shichang 徐世昌 (1855–1939)	10 October 1918	2 June 1922[note 4]	Anhui clique	Vacant		2nd (1918)
—		Zhou Ziqi 周自齊 (1871–1923) (acting)[note 6]	2 June 1922	11 June 1922	Communications Clique	Vacant
(2)		Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 (1864–1928)	11 June 1922	13 June 1923[note 4]	Research Clique	Vacant
—		Gao Lingwei 高凌霨 (1868–1939) (acting)[note 7]	14 June 1923	10 October 1923	Zhili clique	Vacant
4		Cao Kun 曹錕 (1862–1938)	10 October 1923	2 November 1924[note 4]	Zhili clique	Vacant		1923
—		Huang Fu 黃郛 (1883–1936) (acting)[note 6]	2 November 1924	24 November 1924	Nonpartisan	Vacant
5		Duan Qirui[note 8] 段祺瑞 (1865–1936)	24 November 1924	20 April 1926[note 4]	Anhui clique	Vacant
								Vacant
—		Hu Weide[note 9] 胡惟德 (1863–1933) (acting)[note 6]	20 April 1926	13 May 1926	Zhili clique	Vacant
—		Yan Huiqing (W.W. Yan) 顏惠慶 (1877–1950) (acting)[note 7]	13 May 1926	22 June 1926	Nonpartisan	Vacant
—		Du Xigui 杜錫珪 (1875–1933) (acting)[note 6]	22 June 1926	1 October 1926	Zhili clique	Vacant
—		V.K. Wellington Koo 顧維鈞 (1888–1985) (acting)[note 7]	1 October 1926	17 June 1927[note 10]	Nonpartisan	Vacant
6		Zhang Zuolin[note 11] 張作霖 (1875–1928)	18 June 1927	4 June 1928[note 12]	Fengtian clique	Vacant
Chairmen of the Nationalist Government
No.	Portrait	Name[note 13] (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Assembly (elected)
—		Tan Yankai 譚延闓 (1880–1930)	7 February 1928	10 October 1928	Kuomintang		2nd National Congress of Kuomintang (4th plenum)
—		Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 (1887–1975)	10 October 1928	15 December 1931[note 10]	Kuomintang		2nd National Congress of Kuomintang (5th plenum)
—		Lin Sen 林森 (1868–1943)	15 December 1931[note 14]	1 August 1943[note 2]	Kuomintang
							4th National Congress of Kuomintang (1st plenum)
—		Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 (1887–1975)	1 August 1943[note 15]	20 May 1948	Kuomintang
							5th National Congress of Kuomintang (11th plenum)
Presidents after the 1947 Constitution
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Term (elected)
1		Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 (1887–1975)	20 May 1948	21 January 1949[note 16]	Kuomintang		Li Zongren (Kuomintang)	1 (1948)
—		Li Zongren 李宗仁 (1890–1969) (acting)[note 5]	21 January 1949	20 November 1949	Kuomintang	Vacant
—		Yan Xishan 閻錫山 (1883–1960) (acting)[note 7]	20 November 1949	1 March 1950	Kuomintang	Vacant
(1)		Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 (1887–1975)	1 March 1950	5 April 1975[note 2]	Kuomintang		Li Zongren[note 17] (Kuomintang)
						Vacant
							Chen Cheng[note 18] (Kuomintang)	2 (1954)
								3 (1960)
						Vacant
							Yen Chia-kan (Kuomintang)	4 (1966)
								5 (1972)
2		Yen Chia-kan (C. K. Yen) 嚴家淦 (1905–1993)	5 April 1975	20 May 1978	Kuomintang	Vacant
3		Chiang Ching-kuo 蔣經國 (1910–1988)	20 May 1978	13 January 1988[note 2]	Kuomintang		Hsieh Tung-min (Kuomintang)	6 (1978)
							Lee Teng-hui (Kuomintang)	7 (1984)
4		Lee Teng-hui 李登輝 (1923–2020)	13 January 1988	20 May 2000	Kuomintang	Vacant
							Lee Yuan-tsu (Kuomintang)	8 (1990)
							Lien Chan (KMT)	9 (1996)
5		Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 (born 1950)	20 May 2000	20 May 2008	Democratic Progressive		Annette Lu (DPP)	10 (2000)
								11 (2004)
6		Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (born 1950)	20 May 2008	20 May 2016	Kuomintang		Vincent Siew (KMT)	12 (2008)
							Wu Den-yih (KMT)	13 (2012)
7		Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 (born 1956)	20 May 2016	20 May 2024	Democratic Progressive		Chen Chien-jen (Independent)	14 (2016)
							William Lai (DPP)	15 (2020)
8		Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (born 1959)	20 May 2024	Incumbent	Democratic Progressive		Hsiao Bi-khim (DPP)	16 (2024)

List of presidents of the People's Republic (since 1949)

For a more comprehensive list, see List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China.

This is a list of all the chairmen of the People's Republic of China (1954–1975) and the presidents of the People's Republic of China (1982–present). The President of the PRC is called 主席 (zhǔxí), formerly translated as Chairman. The presidency was abolished between 1975 and 1982 with the functions of state representative being performed by the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Oriental convention (family name first, given name second) for consistency.

Generations of leadership

  First Administration   Second Administration   Third Administration   Hu–Wen Administration   Xi–Li Administration   Xi's general secretaryship

Central People's Government under the Common Program (1949–1954)

Chairman of the Central People's Government

• Mao Zedong (1 October 1949 – 27 September 1954)

The 1st Constitution (1954–1975)

Chairman/Chairwoman of the People's Republic China

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death) Constituency		Term of office		NPC	Vice Chairman	Paramount leader
1		Mao Zedong 毛泽东 (1893–1976) Beijing At-large		27 September 1954	27 April 1959	I	Zhu De	Himself
				The first Chairman of the People's Republic of China. Also served as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
2		Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇 (1898–1969) Beijing At-large		27 April 1959	21 December 1964	II	Soong Ching-ling & Dong Biwu (co-serving)	Mao Zedong
				21 December 1964	31 October 1968	III
				Ousted by Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution.
–		Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄 (1893–1981) Shanghai At-large	Dong Biwu 董必武 (1886–1975) Hubei At-large	31 October 1968	24 February 1972 (Soong) 17 January 1975 (Dong)	III	Vacancy by ascension	Mao Zedong
				Both Soong Ching-ling and Dong Biwu co-served as Acting Chairpersons of the People's Republic of China until the resignation of Soong Ching-ling on 24 February 1972. Dong Biwu served the remainder of the term.

The 2nd Constitution (1975–1978)

Further information: 4th National People's Congress and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

Chairman/Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the 4th National People's Congress

1. Zhu De (17 January 1975 – 6 July 1976) died in office
2. Soong Ching-ling (6 July 1976 – 5 March 1978) acting
3. Ye Jianying (5 March 1978 – 5 March 1978)

The 3rd Constitution (1978–1982)

Further information: 5th National People's Congress and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 5th National People's Congress

• Ye Jianying (5 March 1978 – 18 June 1983)

Honorary President of the People's Republic of China

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office		NPC	Vice President	Paramount leader
–		Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄 (1893–1981) Shanghai At-large	16 May 1981	29 May 1981	V	–	Deng Xiaoping
			The first and only Honorary President of the People's Republic of China.

The 4th Constitution (1982–present)

President of the People's Republic China

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office		NPC	Vice President	Paramount leader
3		Li Xiannian 李先念 (1909–1992) Hubei At-large	18 June 1983	8 April 1988	VI	Ulanhu	Deng Xiaoping
			The first President under the 4th Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Deng Xiaoping started reforms in foreign policy and China began opening to the world. Li was first Chinese president who visited USA. He was also the first state president who officially visited North Korea. In 1984, Li met with US President Ronald Reagan during Reagan's visit to China, notably discussing the status of Taiwan with the President. In 1988, Li resigned from his position as President of the People's Republic of China and was replaced by Yang Shangkun. Li was then named Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC.[1]
4		Yang Shangkun 杨尚昆 (1907–1998) Sichuan At-large	8 April 1988	27 March 1993	VII	Wang Zhen	Deng Xiaoping Jiang Zemin
			The second President under the 4th Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Yang promoted economic reform but opposed political liberalization, a position which Deng Xiaoping eventually came to identify with. Yang reached the height of his political career after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, but his organized opposition to Jiang Zemin's leadership led Deng to force Yang to retire.
5		Jiang Zemin 江泽民 (1926–2022) Shanghai At-large	27 March 1993	15 March 1998	VIII	Rong Yiren	Himself
			15 March 1998	15 March 2003	IX	Hu Jintao
			Under his leadership, China experienced substantial developmental growth with reforms, saw the peaceful return of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom and Macau from Portugal, and improved its relations with the outside world while the Communist Party maintained its tight control over the government. Jiang has been criticized for being too concerned about his personal image at home, and too conciliatory towards Russia and the United States abroad.[2] Served as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1989–2002), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (1989–2004), Communist Party secretary of Shanghai (1987–1989).
6		Hu Jintao 胡锦涛 (born 1942) Tibet At-large (until 2008) Zhejiang At-large (from 2008)	15 March 2003	15 March 2008	X	Zeng Qinghong	Himself
			15 March 2008	14 March 2013	XI	Xi Jinping
			During his term in office, Hu reintroduced state control in some sectors of the economy that were relaxed by the previous administration, and has been conservative with political reforms.[3] Along with his colleague, Premier Wen Jiabao, Hu presided over nearly a decade of consistent economic growth and development that cemented China as a major world power. He sought to improve socio-economic equality domestically through the Scientific Development Concept, which aimed to build a "Socialist Harmonious Society" that was prosperous and free of social conflict.[4] In foreign policy, Hu advocated for "China's peaceful development", pursuing soft power in international relations and a business-oriented approach to diplomacy. Through Hu's tenure, China's influence in Africa, Latin America, and other developing countries has increased.[5] Served as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2002–2012), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (2004–2012), Vice President (1998–2003) and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (1999–2004).
7		Xi Jinping 习近平 (born 1953) Shanghai At-large (until 2018) Inner Mongolia At-large (2018–2023) Jiangsu At-large (from 2023)	14 March 2013	17 March 2018	XII	Li Yuanchao	Himself
			17 March 2018	10 March 2023	XIII	Wang Qishan
			10 March 2023	Incumbent	XIV	Han Zheng
			The fifth President under the 4th Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Also serving as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Served as Vice President (2008–2013) and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (2010–2012). Under his leadership, Xi strengthened mass surveillance and launched Xinjiang internment camps. Xi presided over anti-corruption campaign. In foreign policy, Xi advocated for "Wolf warrior diplomacy". Term limits for the president were removed in 2018.

Notes

1. Proclaimed a new empire from 12 December 1915 to 22 March 1916.
2. Died in office.
3. Zhang Xun restored Qing Empire from 1 July to 12 July in 1917.
4. Forced out of office.
5. As Vice President.
6. As Acting Premier.
7. As Premier.
8. Provisional Chief Executive instead of President.
9. Acting Provisional Chief Executive instead of Acting President.
10. Resigned.
11. Zhang was the Generalissimo of the Beiyang Military Government instead of President.
12. Assassinated.
13. The Chairman of the Nationalist Government (國民政府) was the head of state in this period (political tutelage; 訓政時期). There was no office of Vice Chairman.
14. Assumed office as acting chairman from 15 December 1931 to 1 January 1932.
15. Assumed office as acting chairman from 1 June to 1o October 1943.
16. Declared incapacity.
17. Vice-President from 1948 to 1954; impeached and recalled in 1954.
18. Died on 5 March 1965.