President of China

The president of the People's Republic of China is the state representative of the People's Republic of China. This job is mostly for showing the country, and it does not have real power in China's political system. But since 1993, the person who is president also has other important jobs, like the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission. This makes them the country's top leader.

The job of president began on 1 October 1949, when the People's Republic of China was created. Over time, the role changed. It was replaced, ended, and then started again, each time with different powers and rules. Now, the president is part of the system of people's congress, which means they work under the National People's Congress, the main governing body of China.

Even though the presidency itself is not very powerful, the person who holds the job also leads the Chinese Communist Party and controls the military. This makes the president the most important leader in China, even if the job title does not show it. The president can do things for the country only with approval from the National People's Congress Standing Committee, but because they also hold other top positions, they are actually the paramount leader and supreme commander of the armed forces.

History

Background

In 1912, after the Qing dynasty ended, China made a new job called the presidency. This job replaced the old emperor. The first president was Sun Yat-sen, but he gave the job to Yuan Shikai. The president had important duties, like calling meetings and making laws. But sometimes, the president could not fully control the country.

Later, Chiang Kai-shek became president in 1948. Around that time, the Chinese Communist Party was growing stronger. In 1949, they created a new government, and their leader Mao Zedong became the main representative of the country.

Establishment in 1954

In 1954, Mao and his team made a new rulebook for the country, called a constitution. They created a new job called the Chairman of the People's Republic of China. Mao said this job was to help keep the country safe because China was very large. The chairman would work with other leaders to keep the country secure and stable.

History up to 1974

Mao was the first to hold this new job. Later, Liu Shaoqi took over, but he was removed during a big political change called the Cultural Revolution. After that, the job of chairman was left empty for a while.

Abolition in 1975

In 1975, China made a new rulebook that removed the job of chairman. Instead, another leader took on the role of representing the country.

Restoration in 1982

In 1982, China brought back the job of president. This time, the president was mostly a symbol and did not have real power to make big decisions. The real power stayed with the leaders of the Communist Party, the government, and the army. The president mostly greeted visitors from other countries and did ceremonial tasks. The job was meant to be held by different people, but over time, the same leader began holding all the top jobs, including the presidency. In 2018, China changed the rules so that the president could stay in the job longer than before.

Selection

To become the president of China, a person must be a Chinese citizen. They must also be allowed to vote and run for office and be at least 45 years old.

The president is chosen by a group called the National People's Congress (NPC). The NPC Presidium, which leads the NPC, suggests a candidate. The Chinese Communist Party decides who will be nominated. The Party's leaders approve the candidate, and then the NPC votes to elect the president. The president serves for five years. Since 2018, the president must take a special promise before starting the job.

Powers and duties

The president of China represents the country both at home and abroad. The presidency is not a powerful alone job. It is more of a role for official activities. One person is the president, but they cannot do much without the National People's Congress.

Today, the president can make laws, choose or remove leaders, forgive people, and represent China on visits. But all of these need approval from the National People's Congress. Because of this, the president's role is mostly symbolic.

Since 1993, the president also leads the Chinese Communist Party and the military. This links the presidency with the party's leadership of China.

Political ranking

Main article: Orders of precedence in China

The president of China has had different roles over time. Since 1989, the president has been the second most important leader, after the head of the Chinese Communist Party. Sometimes, the president has also been a top member of the party's leadership group. Since 1993, the president is also the main leader of the Chinese Communist Party, so they are the top leader of both the party and the country.

Line of succession

Article 84 of the Constitution of China says that if the president can no longer serve, the vice president takes over. If both the president and vice president can no longer serve, the chairman of the NPC Standing Committee steps in temporarily until a new election can happen.

Current line of succession