Political outline

Executive Power

The Chinese executive is supervised by a collegial body equipped with important powers, the National Business Council (CAE), under which are placed the Government commissions, ministries and certain organizations which have rank of a ministry.
According to the Constitution, the CAE is "the Supreme Administrative Body" of the Chinese Government, and even if the majority of important measures are decided by the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party. The CAE thus plays an important role in the economic domain. The prime minister (Wen Jiabao) is the chief and heads the government, assisted by 4 Deputy Prime Ministers. The CAE also includes 5 National advisers, who, just like the Deputy Prime Ministers, have jurisdiction over several Ministries or Commissions of ministerial rank. The Secretary General of the government also belongs to the CAE.

Legislative Power

The legislature is mono cameral, composed of a National Popular Assembly (ANP), "Body of supreme power of the Government". In reality, made up of approximately 3000 designated deputies elected every five years by indirect vote by the local bodies and meeting only once per annum in congress in plenary session, it has become, during the eighties, a " simple case of resonance" of the local or sectional interests. Deputies are indeed the representatives of 23 provinces, the 5 areas and the 4 autonomous municipalities.

APN comprises a delegation of the People's Liberation Army. The Standing Committee of the National People's Assembly (CPAPN) is appointed by the Political Bureau of the Central committee of the Party. It sits instead of the APN during its recess and exercises all its powers. It is composed of a president, fifteen vice-presidents and 176 permanent members. The CPAPN sits regularly, but it is the Bureau of the APN which exerts daily the functions of the APN.

Eligibility is controlled by the PCC which also has a right to supervise the appointment of the executives and the senior officials of different administrative units.

Main political parties

The one and only political party in the country is CCP (Chinese Communist Party). Though there are eight other registered small parties but all of them are controlled by CCP.

Current political leaders

President: HU Jintao (since March 2003) - CCP
prime Minister: XI Jinping (since March 2008) - CCP

Next election dates

President: March 2013