President of China

The president of the People's Republic of China is the state representative of the People's Republic of China. Although it seems important, this job is mostly ceremonial and does not hold real power in China's political system. However, since 1993, the person who is president also holds other powerful jobs, like the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission, which makes them the country's top leader.

The job of president started on 1 October 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established. Over time, the role changed. It was replaced, abolished, and then brought back 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 related to 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 old rulers called the Qing dynasty were removed, China created a new job called the presidency. This job replaced the old emperor and became the country's main representative. The first person to hold this job was Sun Yat-sen, but he soon gave it to another leader named Yuan Shikai. The president had many important duties, like calling meetings, making laws, and leading the army. However, things were not always stable, and sometimes the president could not fully control the country.

Later, a new leader named Chiang Kai-shek became president in 1948. But around the same time, another group called the Chinese Communist Party was getting 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 created a new rulebook for the country, called a constitution. They decided to create a new job called the Chairman of the People's Republic of China. Mao explained that this job was created to help keep the country safe, especially because China was very large. The chairman would work with other leaders to make sure the country was secure and stable.

History up to 1974

Mao was the first to hold this new job. Later, another leader named 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 decided to bring back the job of president. This time, the president was meant to be more of a symbol and 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, 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. In reality, 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, the same as the NPC's term. Since 2018, the president must take a special promise before starting the job.

Powers and duties

The president of China acts as the country's representative both inside and outside the nation. According to the constitution, the presidency is not a single powerful position but a role that represents China in official activities. One person holds this role, but they do not have independent powers beyond what the National People's Congress allows.

Today, the president can issue orders to make laws, choose or remove important government leaders, grant pardons, declare emergencies, and represent China on visits to other countries. However, all of these actions need approval from the National People's Congress. Because most powers require this approval, the president's role is mostly symbolic.

Since 1993, the person who is president also holds the top leadership roles in the Chinese Communist Party and the military. This links the presidency closely with the party's leadership over China.

Political ranking

Main article: Orders of precedence in China

The position of the president in China's government has changed over time. Since 1989, the president has been the second most important leader after the head of the Chinese Communist Party. Different presidents have had different places in the rankings depending on who was in office. For example, some presidents were also high-ranking members of the party's leadership group. Since 1993, the person who is president is also the main leader of the Chinese Communist Party, making them the top leader in 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