Political Leaders: 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. Additionally, the site Rulers provides lists with the rulers of the provinces, autonomous regions and main municipalities.

Leaders of the Communist Party of China

Chairmen
Mao Zedong       8 Jan 1935 -  9 Sep 1976 (+)     
Hua Guofeng      7 Oct 1976 - 29 Jun 1981 (+2008)      
Hu Yaobang      29 Jun 1981 - 11 Sep 1982 (+1989) 

General Secretaries
Deng Xiaoping   27 Sep 1956 -        1957 (+1997) 
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         
Hu Jintao       15 Nov 2002 -

The General Secretaryship of the Central Committee is the top party post only since 11 Sep 1982, when the Chairmanship was abolished. To then (when existed), the General Secretaryship was essentially a bureaucratic office.

Look also for a detailed CPC leadership at the CPC Congresses page, 1945-2007.

De facto ruler

Deng Xiaoping      Dec 1978 - 19 Feb 1997 (+)

Deng Xiaoping was the unquestionable paramount country leader and lately a senior influential person from 1977/1978 to his death in 1997. 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 (2)
Zhu De          17 Jan 1975 -  6 Jul 1976 (+)       
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         
Hu Jintao       15 Mar 2003 -

(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 transmite 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 (Chairmen of the State Council or Central People's Govt.)

Zhou Enlai       1 Oct 1949 -  8 Jan 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         (acting to 9 Apr 1988)
Zhu Rongji      17 Mar 1998 - 16 Mar 2003         
Wen Jiabao      16 Mar 2003 -

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

Liu Shaoqi      1954-1959 (+1969) 
Zhu De          1959-1976 (+)     
Ye Jianying     1978-1983 (+1986) 
Peng Zhen       1983-1988 (+1997) 
Wan Li          1988-1993
Qiao Shi        1993-1998        
Li Peng         1998-2003        
Wu Bangguo      2003-

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Zhou Enlai      1949-1958 (+1976) 
Chen Yi         1958-1972 (+1972) (*)
Ji Pengfei      1972-1974 (+2000) 
Qiao Guanhua    1974-1976 (+1983)
Huang Hua       1976-1982  
Wu Xueqian      1982-1988 (+2008)      
Qian Qichen     1988-1998        
Tang Jiaxuan    1998-2003         
Li Zhaoxing     2003-2007       
Yang Jiechi     2007-

(*) 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. (List courtesy of Chen Song)

Ministers of National Defence

Peng Dehuai     1954-1959 (+1974) 
Lin Biao        1959-1971 (+)a    
 ** 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-

Ministers of Finance

Bo Yibo         1949-1953 (+2007) 
Deng Xiaoping   1953-1954 (+1997) 
Li Xiannian     1954-1975 (+1992)
Zhang Jingfu    1975-1979
Wu Bo           1979-1980 (+2005)
Wang Bingqian   1980-1992
Liu Zhongli     1992-1998        
Xiang Huaicheng 1998-2003         
Jin Renqing     2003-2007
Xie Xuren       2007-

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