Political Leaders: People's Republic of China

Leaders of China
(People's Republic of China)

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website. See also the special page on Hong Kong and the Republic of China (Taiwan). In addition, the site Rulers provides lists with the rulers of the provinces, autonomous regions and main municipalities.

Leaders of the Communist Party of China

Chairman of the Military Commission
Mao Zedong       8 Jan 1935 - 19 Jun 1945 (†1976) 

Chairmen of the Central Committee
Mao Zedong      19 Jun 1945 -  9 Sep 1976 (†1976) 
Hua Guofeng      7 Oct 1976 - 29 Jun 1981 (†2008)      
Hu Yaobang      29 Jun 1981 - 12 Sep 1982 (†1989) 
 ** abolished **

General Secretaries of the Central Committee
Chen Duxiu         Jan 1925 -  7 Aug 1927 (†1942)
Xiang Zhongfa      Jul 1928 - 24 Jun 1931 (†1931)
Bo Gu              Sep 1931 -    Jan 1935 (†1946)
Zhang Wentian      Jan 1935 - 20 Mar 1943 (†1976)
 ** abolished **   
Deng Xiaoping   27 Sep 1956 -        1957 (†1997) 
 ** abolished **
Hu Yaobang      29 Feb 1980 - 16 Jan 1987 (†1989) 
Zhao Ziyang     16 Jan 1987 - 24 Jun 1989 (†2005) (acting to 2 Nov 1987)
Jiang Zemin     24 Jun 1989 - 15 Nov 2002 (†2022)        
Hu Jintao       15 Nov 2002 - 15 Nov 2012
Xi Jinping      15 Nov 2012 -

The General Secretaryship of the Central Committee is the top party post only since 12 Sep 1982, when the Chairmanship was abolished. To then, the General Secretaryship (when existed) was in esence a bureaucratic office.

Look also for a detailed CPC leadership at the CPC Congresses page, 1945-2017.

De facto leader

Deng Xiaoping      Dec 1978 -  .  .  199? (†1997)

Deng Xiaoping was the unquestionable paramount country leader and lately a senior influential person from 1977/1978 to sometime in early 90s. Nevertheless, he never held the nominal highest posts of the State, the Government or the Party. When he exactly became and ceased to be the top leader is unclear; pertaining the first date, Deng stepped up his grip on power throughout 1977 as he was successively elected to hold high posts in the Party, the Executive (typically, second-ranking person in both structures) and the People's Army. The 3rd session of the XI Central Committee, from 18 to 22 Dec 1978, is commonly reported as the start of Deng's supreme and de facto leadership.

Heads of State

Chairman of the Central People's Government
Mao Zedong       1 Oct 1949 - 27 Sep 1954 (†1976) 

Chairmen (Presidents)
Mao Zedong      27 Sep 1954 - 27 Apr 1959 (†1976) 
Liu Shaoqi      27 Apr 1959 - 31 Oct 1968 (†1969) 
Dong Biwu       31 Oct 1968 - 17 Jan 1975 (†1975) (acting) (1)

Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress 
Zhu De          17 Jan 1975 -  6 Jul 1976 (†1976)  
 ** vacant **    6 Jul 1976 -  5 Mar 1978         (2)
Ye Jianying      5 Mar 1978 - 18 Jun 1983 (†1986)   

Presidents of the Republic
Li Xiannian     18 Jun 1983 -  8 Apr 1988 (†1992)   
Yang Shangkun    8 Apr 1988 - 27 Mar 1993 (†1998) 
Jiang Zemin     27 Mar 1993 - 15 Mar 2003 (†2022)         
Hu Jintao       15 Mar 2003 - 14 Mar 2013
Xi Jinping      14 Mar 2013 -

(1) No successor of Liu Shaoqi was elected, so vice-chairman Dong Biwu acted as head of the State (de facto up to 24 Feb 1972, together with also vice-chairman Song Qingling (†1981), and officially since then). The Presidency of the Republic was officially abolished in 1975 and the functions of head of State were transmited to the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. In 1983 the post of president was reinstated.
(2) From 6 Jul 1976 to 5 Mar 1978 the position remained vacant, which was between the death of Zhu De and the appointment of Ye Jianying). In the meantime, the 20 vice chairmen of the Standing Committee performed collectively the duties correspondant to the office.

Premiers of the State Council or Central People's Government (Prime Ministers)

Zhou Enlai       1 Oct 1949 -  8 Jan 1976 (†1976)     
Hua Guofeng      4 Feb 1976 - 10 Sep 1980 (†2008) (acting to 7 Apr 1976) 
Zhao Ziyang     10 Sep 1980 - 24 Nov 1987 (†2005) 
Li Peng         24 Nov 1987 - 17 Mar 1998 (†2019) (acting to 9 Apr 1988)
Zhu Rongji      17 Mar 1998 - 16 Mar 2003         
Wen Jiabao      16 Mar 2003 - 15 Mar 2013
Li Keqiang      15 Mar 2013 - 11 Mar 2013 (†2023) 
Li Qiang        11 Mar 2023 -

Senior/First Vice Premiers of the State Council or Central People's Government

Dong Biwu       1949-1954 (†1975)
Chen Yun        1954-1964 (†1995)
Lin Biao        1964-1971 (†1971)
Deng Xiaoping   1975-1976 (†1997)
Deng Xiaoping   1977-1980 (†1997)
Wan Li          1980-1988 (†2015) (acting to 1983)
Yao Yilin       1988-1993 (†1994)
Zhu Rongji      1993-1998
Li Lanqing      1998-2003
Huang Ju        2003-2007 (†2007)
Wu Yi           2007-2008         (acting)
Li Keqiang	2008-2013 (†2023) 
Zhang Gaoli     2013-2018
Han Zheng       2018-2023
Ding Xuexiang   2023-

Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (Parliament)

Liu Shaoqi      1954-1959 (†1969) 
Zhu De          1959-1976 (†1976)   
 ** vacant **   1976-1978  
Ye Jianying     1978-1983 (†1986) 
Peng Zhen       1983-1988 (†1997) 
Wan Li          1988-1993 (†2015)
Qiao Shi        1993-1998 (†2015)     
Li Peng         1998-2003 (†2019)       
Wu Bangguo      2003-2013
Zhang Dejiang   2013-2018
Li Zhanshu      2018-2023
Zhao Leji       2023-

Vice Presidents of the Republic

Ulanhu          1983-1988 (†1988)
Wang Zhen       1988-1993 (†1993)
Rong Yiren      1993-1998 (†2005)
Hu Jintao       1998-2003
Zeng Qinghong   2003-2008
Xi Jinping      2008-2013
Li Yuanchao     2013-2018
Wang Qishan     2018-2023
Han Zheng       2023-

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Zhou Enlai      1949-1958 (†1976) 
Chen Yi         1958-1972 (†1972) (3)
Ji Pengfei      1972-1974 (†2000) 
Qiao Guanhua    1974-1976 (†1983)
Huang Hua       1976-1982 (†2010)
Wu Xueqian      1982-1988 (†2008)      
Qian Qichen     1988-1998 (†2017)       
Tang Jiaxuan    1998-2003         
Li Zhaoxing     2003-2007       
Yang Jiechi     2007-2013
Wang Yi         2013-2022
Qin Gang        2022-2023
Wang Yi         2023-

(3) Chen Yi was purged in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution, but never was officially dismissed. Prime Minister Zhou Enlai performed the duties of Foreign Minister since 1967 to 1971. From that year, Ji Pengfei acted as Foreign Minister and was given the post in 1972.

Ministers of National Defence

Peng Dehuai     1954-1959 (†1974) 
Lin Biao        1959-1971 (†1971) 
 ** vacant **   1971-1975
Ye Jianying     1975-1978 (†1986) 
Xu Xiangqian    1978-1981 (†1990) 
Geng Biao       1981-1982 (†2000) 
Zhang Aiping    1982-1988 (†2003)
Qin Jiwei       1988-1993 (†1997) 
Chi Haotian     1993-2003        
Cao Gangchuan   2003-2008
Liang Guanglie  2008-2013
Chang Wanquan   2013-2018
Wei Fenghe      2018-2023
Li Shangfu      2023
Dong Jun        2023-

Ministers of Finance

Bo Yibo         1949-1953 (†2007) 
Deng Xiaoping   1953-1954 (†1997) 
Li Xiannian     1954-1975 (†1992)
Zhang Jingfu    1975-1979 (†2015)
Wu Bo           1979-1980 (†2005)
Wang Bingqian   1980-1992
Liu Zhongli     1992-1998        
Xiang Huaicheng 1998-2003         
Jin Renqing     2003-2007 (†2021)
Xie Xuren       2007-2013
Lou Jiwei       2013-2016
Xiao Jie        2016-2018
Liu Kun         2018-

Chairmen of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China

Mao Zedong      1954-1976 (†1976)
Hua Guofeng     1976-1981 (†2008)
Deng Xiaoping   1981-1989 (†1997)
Jiang Zemin     1989-2004 (†2022) 
Hu Jintao       2004-2012
Xi Jinping      2012-

Chairmen of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China

Mao Zedong      1949-1954 (†1976) (as chairman of the National Defense Council)
Liu Shaoqi      1959-1968 (†1969) (as chairman of the National Defense Council)
 ** vacant **   1968-1975
** abolished ** 1975-1982
Deng Xiaoping   1983-1990 (†1997)
Jiang Zemin     1990-2005 (†2022) 
Hu Jintao       2005-2013
Xi Jinping      2013-

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