Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

The chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is the leader of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China.

Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
中国人民政治协商会议
全国委员会主席
Emblem of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Incumbent
Wang Huning
since 10 March 2023
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
StatusPresiding officer
Member ofStanding Committee of the National Committee
Chairperson's Council
NominatorPresidium of the Plenary Session of the National Committee
(chosen within the Chinese Communist Party)
AppointerPlenary Session of the National Committee
Term lengthFive years, renewable
Constituting instrumentCharter of the CPPCC
Inaugural holderMao Zedong
Formation9 October 1949; 74 years ago (1949-10-09)
DeputyVice Chairpersons
Secretary-General
SalaryCN¥150,000 per annum est. (2015)[1]
Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Simplified Chinese中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会主席
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese全国政协主席

The chairman is officially nominated within the CPPCC National Committee and approved by a plenary session of the National Committee.[2] The chairman is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee, which handles the regular affairs of the body, and presides over its work.[2] The chairman is also a member of the Chairperson's Council, which handles the day-to-day affairs of the Standing Committee.[2] The chairman is assisted in their work by vice chairpersons and the secretary-general of the National Committee.[2] The chairman is usually the leader of the united front system of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), being the head of the principal forum for united front work.[3]

Since its establishment, all CPPCC chairpersons have been a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP except during transition periods, being at least its 4th-ranking member.[4] The incumbent chairman is Wang Huning, who is the 4th-ranking member of the PSC.

Roles edit

The chairman is central to the united front system of the CCP. According to Sinologist Peter Mattis, the role "largely consists of public appearances, speaking engagements, and pressing the flesh to ensure the party’s ideas remain paramount".[5] The chairman speaks at the department directors’ meeting (全国统战部长会议) of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) held around every December or January, with the Chinese state media emphasizing the role of the chairman and their speeches over the UFWD director, who nominally presides over the meeting.[6]

The chairman usually leads the Central Coordination Group for Xinjiang Work and the Central Coordination Group for Tibet Work, the top CCP decision-making bodies on Xinjiang and Tibet.[7] Additionally, though not required by law, the chairman also generally serves as the leader of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification (CCPPNR), a united front organization.[8]

List of officeholders edit

Multiple terms in office, consecutive or otherwise, are listed and counted in the first column counts individuals and the second column (term number).

Generations of leadership
  •   Mao Zedong Administration
  •   Deng-Chen Administration
  •   Jiang Zemin Administration
  •   Hu–Wen Administration
  •   Xi Jinping Administration
Chairperson Term Took office Left office
1   Mao Zedong
毛泽东
1st 9 October 1949 25 December 1954
2   Zhou Enlai
周恩来
2nd 25 December 1954 April 1959
3rd April 1959 January 1965
4th January 1965 8 January 1976
During this interval, the office was vacant.
(January 1976–March 1978)
3   Deng Xiaoping
邓小平
5th 8 March 1978 17 June 1983
4   Deng Yingchao
邓颖超
6th 17 June 1983 11 April 1988
5   Li Xiannian
李先念
7th 6 April 1988 21 June 1992
During this interval, the office was vacant.
(June 1992–March 1993)
6   Li Ruihuan
李瑞环
8th 27 March 1993 March 1998
9th March 1998 14 March 2003
7   Jia Qinglin
贾庆林
10th 14 March 2003 March 2008
11th March 2008 11 March 2013
8   Yu Zhengsheng
俞正声
12th 11 March 2013 14 March 2018
9   Wang Yang
汪洋
13th 14 March 2018 10 March 2023
10   Wang Huning
王沪宁
14th 10 March 2023 Incumbent

Timeline edit

Wang HuningWang Yang (politician)Yu ZhengshengJia QinglinLi RuihuanLi XiannianDeng YingchaoDeng XiaopingZhou EnlaiMao Zedong

References edit

  1. ^ Luo, Wangshu (2015-01-20). "Public Employees Get Salary Increase". China Daily. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Charter of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chapter IV: National Committee". Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  3. ^ Joske, Alex (June 9, 2020). "The party speaks for you: Foreign interference and the Chinese Communist Party's united front system". Australian Strategic Policy Institute. JSTOR resrep25132. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  4. ^ Cole & Hsu 2020, p. 4.
  5. ^ Cole & Hsu 2020, p. 7.
  6. ^ Cole & Hsu 2020, p. 11-12.
  7. ^ "Decoding Chinese Politics". Asia Society. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  8. ^ Cole & Hsu 2020, p. 44.

Further reading edit

  • Cole, J. Michael; Hsu, Szu-chien (2020). Insidious Power: How China Undermines Global Democracy. Eastbridge Books. ISBN 9781788692137.