Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China

People's Republic of China

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of People's Republic of China

Ideology Generations of Chinese leadership Guiding Political Ideologies Mao Zedong: Mao Zedong Thought Deng Xiaoping: Deng Xiaoping Theory Jiang Zemin: Three Represents Hu Jintao: Scientific Development Concept Constitution Constitutional history 1954 1975 1978 1982 (present) Government State and Government leaders National People's Congress NPC Standing Committee NPCSC Chairman: Wu Bangguo President: Hu Jintao Vice President: Xi Jinping State Council (Central People's Government) Premier: Wen Jiabao Vice Premiers 1st ranking: Li Keqiang State Councilors PRC Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao Supreme People's Court President: Wang Shengjun Supreme People's Procuratorate Procurator-General: Cao Jianming Communist Party Leadership of the Party and State National Congress Central Committee General Secretary: Hu Jintao Central Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Central Secretariat First secretary: Xi Jinping CPC Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary: He Guoqiang United Front Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman: Jia Qinglin Minor political parties Military Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao People's Liberation Army People's Armed Police Force State Council National Defense Mobilization Commission Chairman: Wen Jiabao Ministry of National Defense Minister: Liang Guanglie Law Legislative system List of statutes Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee Secretary: Zhou Yongkang Judicial system Court system Other issues Elections (02-03 · 07-08 · 12-13) Administrative divisions Human rights Foreign relations (United Nations) Foreign aid

Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view talk edit

The Central Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (PSC) is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Communist Party of China. The inner workings of the PSC are not well known, although it is believed that decisions of the PSC are made by consensus. According to the Party Constitution, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China is always a member of PSC.^{[1][citation needed]}

Currently the Central Politburo Standing Committee acts as the de facto highest and most powerful decision-making body in China. Its members are closely watched by both the national media as well as political watchers abroad. Historically, the role of the PSC has varied and evolved. During the Cultural Revolution, for example, the PSC had little power.

History

The actual power wielded by the PSC has varied widely from period to period. In the early days of the Cultural Revolution, for example, real power was concentrated in the Central Committee Cultural Revolution Group,^{[citation needed]} which was nominally subject to the Politburo Standing Committee but in fact dominated over the Standing Committee. In 1969, the Cultural Revolution Group was abolished, with those of its members who were most loyal to Mao admitted into the PSC. The last years of the Cultural Revolution were dominated by internal chaos, and following Mao's death in October 1976, only two PSC members continued their official duties; namely, Ye Jianying and Hua Guofeng. Five of the Committee members had died in the last year, one (Deng Xiaoping) had been dismissed, and two (as members of the Gang of Four) were "quarantined for investigation".

After taking power in 1978, one of the goals of Deng Xiaoping was to strengthen the power of the party. In 1989 he ordered the military to intervene in the Tiananmen Protests of 1989 against the wishes of a majority of the PSC, and in which the party subsequently ousted a majority of the PSC.

The 25-member Politburo is elected by the Party's central committee. At the 2002 16th Party Congress, the Standing Committee was expanded to include nine members.

Historical makeup of the PSC

Current members (in order)

Portrait	Information		Other party position(s)	State position(s)
	Rank	1st	General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission	President of the People's Republic of China Chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission
	Name	Hu Jintao
	Birthplace	Jiangyan, Taizhou, Jiangsu
	Member since	19 October 1992
	Rank	2nd	Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress	Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
	Name	Wu Bangguo
	Birthplace	Feidong County, Hefei, Anhui
	Member since	15 November 2002
	Rank	3rd	Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China	Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
	Name	Wen Jiabao
	Birthplace	Beichen District, Tianjin
	Member since	15 November 2002
	Rank	4th	Party secretary of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference	Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
	Name	Jia Qinglin
	Birthplace	Botou, Cangzhou, Hebei
	Member since	15 November 2002
	Rank	5th	Chairman of the CPC Central Guidance Commission for Building Spiritual Civilization
	Name	Li Changchun
	Birthplace	Dalian, Liaoning
	Member since	15 November 2002
	Rank	6th	Top-ranked Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the CPC Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission President of the Central Party School of the CPC	Vice President of the People's Republic of China Vice Chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission
	Name	Xi Jinping
	Birthplace	Xicheng District, Beijing
	Member since	22 October 2007
	Rank	7th	Deputy Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China	First-ranked Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
	Name	Li Keqiang
	Birthplace	Dingyuan County, Chuzhou, Anhui
	Member since	22 October 2007
	Rank	8th	Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection
	Name	He Guoqiang
	Birthplace	Xiangxiang, Xiangtan, Hunan
	Member since	22 October 2007
	Rank	9th	Secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legislative Committee
	Name	Zhou Yongkang
	Birthplace	Wuxi, Jiangsu
	Member since	22 October 2007

Makeup of the next PSC

In November 2012, the 18th PSC will take office. If previous precedent is followed, seven of the current PSC members will retire having exceeded the age of 67. Only Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang are expected to retain their seats.^[2]

According to Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution,^[2] four additional individuals have more or less secured their membership in the next PSC: Vice Premier Wang Qishan, Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, Organization Department head Li Yuanchao, and Propaganda Department head Liu Yunshan. Other party members with a significant chance of being appointed to the next PSC include: Shanghai party chief Yu Zhengsheng, Guangdong party chief Wang Yang, Tianjin party chief Zhang Gaoli, Inner Mongolia party chief Hu Chunhua, State Councilor Liu Yandong, Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu and General Office chief Ling Jihua.

See also

• Politics of the People's Republic of China
• Political position ranking of the People's Republic of China
• Politburo of the Communist Party of China

References

v t e The Central Organs of the Communist Party of China           National Congress                                                           Central Committee       Central Commission for Discipline Inspection                                                           General Secretary     Central Military Commission                                                 Politburo                                         Secretariat           Politburo Standing Committee

v t e Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Subunits General Secretary Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Secretariat Military Commission Political and Legislative Affairs Committee Propaganda Department Organization Department Central Party School Sittings 1st (1921) vacant 2nd (1922) 3rd (1923) 4th (1925) 5th (1927) 6th (1928) 7th (1945) 8th (1956) 9th (1969) 10th (1973) 11th (1977) 12th (1982) 13th (1987) 14th (1992) 15th (1997) 16th (2002) 17th (2007) 18th (2012)