State Council of China

"Central People's Government" redirects here. For the central government of the PRC during 1949–1954, see Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China (1949–1954).

State Council of the People's Republic of China

中华人民共和国国务院 Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Guówùyuàn
National Emblem of China
The State Council's First Conference Room
Agency overview
Formed	27 September 1954;71 years ago (1954-09-27)
Preceding agency	Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government (1949–1954)
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
Agency executives	Li Qiang, Premier Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing, Liu Guozhong, Vice Premiers Wang Xiaohong, Wu Zhenglong, Shen Yiqin, State councillors
Child agencies	General Office 26 Constituent Departments (cabinet-level)
Website	english.www.gov.cn

State Council 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"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Guówùyuàn

The State Council of the People's Republic of China, synonymous with Central People's Government, is the supreme administrative organ of China's unified state apparatus and the executive organ of the National People's Congress (NPC), the supreme organ of state power. 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, and a secretary-general.

The Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government was established in 1949 with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China. Under the 1954 constitution, the Government Administration Council was succeeded by the State Council, which became the supreme administrative organ of the state. Since 1982, the State Council has undergone institutional reforms every five years. 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 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 premier is appointed by the NPC after a nomination from the president; the premier then nominates members of the State Council for appointment by the NPC or its Standing Committee. 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, 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 (CCP). The State Council is constitutionally accountable to the NPC and its Standing Committee. The Organic Law of the State Council outlines that the State Council acts under the leadership of the CCP Central Committee and follows CCP ideology. Aside from a few, members of the State Council are also members of the CCP Central Committee.

History

The predecessor of the State Council was the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government, which was established on 1 October 1949 with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China. However, the Government Administration Council was lower in status and had a smaller scope of authority than the State Council; the State Council is equal to the Central People's Government, while the Government Administration Council was only a constituent body of the Central People's Government. The Government Administration Council did not have the authority to manage military affairs, so it did not have a Ministry of National Defense under it. ^[2]

In September 1954, the first session of the 1st National People's Congress adopted the Constitution of China and the Organic Law of the State Council, among other things. According to the constitution, the National People's Congress (NPC) is the supreme organ of state power; the State Council is the executive organ of the NPC and the highest administrative organ of the state. ^[2] Since 1982, the State Council has undergone several institutional reforms, with adjustments made on average every five years to coincide with each change of government. The most recent adjustment was in 2023. The number of departments under the State Council has been reduced from 100 before 1982 to 26 today. ^[3]

Organization

Main article: Constituent departments of the State Council

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". ^[4] 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. ^[4] The State Council has flexibility in decision-making, especially with regard to economic matters, but the Politburo has ultimate authority. ^[5] According to the Organic Law of the State Council, the CCP Central Committee exercises leadership over the State Council. ^{[6] [7]} The law also stipulates the State Council must follow the CCP's ideology and policies. ^[6]

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 ^{[8] : 58} and is appointed by the NPC upon the nomination by the president, ^[4] though in practice the premier is chosen within the CCP leadership, including the Politburo Standing Committee. ^[9] 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. ^[10] The premier leads the Leading Party Members Group, which responsible for overseeing the implementation of CCP Central Committee policies in the State Council. ^[11]

Each vice premier oversees certain areas of administration in support of the premier. ^[12] 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. ^[13] 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. ^[10]

The State Council includes 26 constituent departments, and oversees the province-level governments throughout China. ^[5] 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. ^[10] 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). ^[14] 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. ^{[15] : 15}

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. ^[16] The Executive Meeting is composed of the premier, vice premiers, state councilors, and the secretary-general. ^[10]

Members

Executive Meeting

This section is an excerpt from Executive meeting of the State Council § Current executive meeting.[ edit ]

Members of the Executive Meeting of the 14th State Council (March 2023 – March 2028)

#	Office	Portrait	Name	Party		Party memberships
1	Premier		Li Qiang 李强		CCP	Politburo Standing Committee Secretary, Leading Party Members Group
2	Vice Premier (first-ranked)		Ding Xuexiang 丁薛祥		CCP	Politburo Standing Committee Deputy Secretary, Leading Party Members Group
3	Vice Premier		He Lifeng 何立峰		CCP	Politburo Leading Party Members Group
4	Vice Premier		Zhang Guoqing 张国清		CCP	Politburo Leading Party Members Group
5	Vice Premier		Liu Guozhong 刘国中		CCP	Politburo Leading Party Members Group
6	State Councillor Minister of Public Security		Wang Xiaohong 王小洪		CCP	Secretariat Deputy Secretary, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Leading Party Members Group
7	State Councillor Secretary-General of the State Council		Wu Zhenglong 吴政隆		CCP	Leading Party Members Group Secretary, State Council Organs Party Group  ( zh )
8	State Councillor		Shen Yiqin 谌贻琴		CCP	Leading Party Members Group

Constitution departments

This section is an excerpt from Constituent departments of the State Council § Current departments.[ edit ]

The 14th State Council has 26 constituent departments. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

Constituent Departments of the 14th State Council (March 2023 – March 2028)

#	Logo	Name of department	Year established	Incumbent chief	Party		Reports to
1		Ministry of Foreign Affairs 外交部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Wang Yi 王毅 Minister of Foreign Affairs		CCP	General Secretary Xi Jinping ∟ Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi (himself)
2		Ministry of National Defense 国防部	1954	Dong Jun 董军 Minister of National Defense		CCP	General Secretary Xi Jinping (Chairman of the Central Military Commission)
3		National Development and Reform Commission 国家发展和改革委员会	2003	Zheng Shanjie 郑栅洁 Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission		CCP	Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang
4		Ministry of Education 教育部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Huai Jinpeng 怀进鹏 Minister of Education		CCP
5		Ministry of Science and Technology 科学技术部	1998	Yin Hejun 阴和俊 Minister of Science and Technology		CCP
6		Ministry of Industry and Information Technology 工业和信息化部	2008	Li Lecheng 李乐成 Minister of Industry and Information Technology		CCP	Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing
7		National Ethnic Affairs Commission 国家民族事务委员会	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Pan Yue 潘岳 Director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission		CCP	Shi Taifeng (Head of the CCP Central Committee United Front Work Department)
8		Ministry of Public Security 公安部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Police Commissioner-General  ( zh ) Wang Xiaohong 王小洪 State Councillor Minister of Public Security		CCP	Chen Wenqing (Secretary of the CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission)
9		Ministry of State Security 国家安全部	1983	Chen Yixin 陈一新 Minister of State Security		CCP
10		Ministry of Civil Affairs 民政部	1978	Lu Zhiyuan 陆治原 Minister of Civil Affairs		CCP	State Councillor Shen Yiqin
11		Ministry of Justice 司法部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC) 1979 (re-established)	He Rong 贺荣 Minister of Justice		CCP	Chen Wenqing (Secretary of the CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission)
12		Ministry of Finance 财政部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Lan Fo'an 蓝佛安 Minister of Finance		CCP	Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang
13		Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security 人力资源和社会保障部	2008	Wang Xiaoping 王晓萍 Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security		CCP	State Councillor Shen Yiqin
14		Ministry of Natural Resources 自然资源部	2018	Guan Zhi'ou 关志鸥 Minister of Natural Resources		CCP	Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang
15		Ministry of Ecology and Environment 生态环境部	2018	Huang Runqiu 黄润秋 Minister of Ecology and Environment		JS
16		Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development 住房和城乡建设部	2008	Ni Hong 倪虹 Minister of Housing and Urban–Rural Development		CCP	Vice Premier He Lifeng
17		Ministry of Transport 交通运输部	2008	Liu Wei 李小鹏 Minister of Transport		CCP
18		Ministry of Water Resources 水利部	1949 (CPG) 1954 (PRC)	Li Guoying 李国英 Minister of Water Resources		CCP	Vice Premier Liu Guozhong
19		Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs 农业农村部	2018	Han Jun 韩俊 Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs		CCP
20		Ministry of Commerce 商务部	2003	Wang Wentao 王文涛 Minister of Commerce		CCP	Vice Premier He Lifeng
21		Ministry of Culture and Tourism 文化和旅游部	2018	Sun Yeli 孙业礼 Minister of Culture and Tourism		CCP	Li Shulei (Head of the CCP Central Committee Propaganda Department)
22		National Health Commission 国家卫生健康委员会	2018	Lei Haichao 雷海潮 Head of the National Health Commission		CCP	Vice Premier Liu Guozhong
23		Ministry of Veterans Affairs 退役军人事务部	2018	Pei Jinjia 裴金佳 Minister of Veterans Affairs		CCP	State Councillor Shen Yiqin
24		Ministry of Emergency Management 应急管理部	2018	Wang Xiangxi 王祥喜 Minister of Emergency Management		CCP	Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing
25		People's Bank of China 中国人民银行	1948	Pan Gongsheng 潘功胜 Governor of the People's Bank of China		CCP	Vice Premier He Lifeng (Director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Office)
26		National Audit Office 审计署	1983	Hou Kai 侯凯 Auditor-General of the National Audit Office		CCP	Premier Li Qiang ∟ Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang

The Ministry of Education retains the external nameplate of the National Language Working Committee. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology retains the external nameplates of China National Space Administration and of China Atomic Energy Authority. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security is supplemented with the nameplate of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. The Ministry of Natural Resources retains the external nameplate of the State Oceanic Administration. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment retains the external nameplate of the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is supplemented with the nameplate of the National Rural Revitalization Administration. ^[20]

See also

• China portal
• Politics portal

• 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
• Government of Hong Kong
• Government of Macau

References

1. Article 85 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
2. "Inside the Chinese Bureaucracy: Reading the State Council's Gazette". Wilson Center . 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
3. Guobin, Zhu; Kinglun, Ngok (2007-06-30). "Marketization, Globalization and Administrative Reform in China: A Zigzag Road to a Promising Future". International Review of Administrative Sciences. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08.
4. "Constitution of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress . Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
5. Cheng, Li; Prytherch, Mallie (7 March 2023). "China's new State Council: What analysts might have missed". Brookings Institution . Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
6. Zheng, William (2024-03-06). "Xi's dominance in Chinese politics to grow with change to State Council: expert". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2024-03-10. It includes specific clauses saying the council will closely follow the Communist Party's ideology, leadership and instructions, further defining its role as faithful policy implementer of the ruling party.
7. Chu, Mei Mei; Chen, Laurie (March 11, 2024). "China passes law granting Communist Party more control over cabinet". Reuters . Retrieved March 11, 2024.
8. Li, David Daokui (2024). China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0393292398.
9. "China's backroom power brokers block reform candidates". South China Morning Post . 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
10. Wei, Changhao (2024-03-11). "NPC 2024: Annotated Translation of the Revised State Council Organic Law". NPC Observer. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
11. He, Alex (December 2018). "The Emerging Model of Economic Policy Making under Xi Jinping" (PDF). Centre for International Governance Innovation. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
12. He, Laura (4 March 2023). "Meet the 4 men tapped to run China's economy". CNN . Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
13. Thomas, Neil (5 April 2023). "What are the Policy Assignments of China's New State Council Leadership?". Asia Society . Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
14. Boswell, Matthew (2009). "Media Relations in China's Military: The Case of the Ministry of National Defense Information Office". Asia Policy (8): 97–120. ISSN   1559-0968. JSTOR   24904949. Archived from the original on 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
15. Wuthnow, Joel (16 April 2019). China's Other Army: The People's Armed Police in an Era of Reform (PDF). Washington: Institute for National Strategic Studies. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
16. Zheng, William (28 March 2023). "New work rules for China's State Council put the party firmly in charge". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
17. "China's new State Council: What analysts might have missed". Brookings Institution . Retrieved 2023-10-25.
18. Wei, Changhao; Hu, Taige; Liao, Zewei (Whiskey) (2023-03-07). "A Guide to China's 2023 State Council Restructuring". NPC Observer. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
19. "The State Council of the People's Republic of China" (PDF). Freeman Chair in China Studies Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-10-29. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
20. "国务院组织机构 – 中国政府网 Organizational Structure of the State Council – China Government Web". 中华人民共和国中央人民政府 Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. Archived from the original on 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2023-10-24.

External links

• Official website