China: Government
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Country name:
- conventional long form: People's Republic of China
- conventional short form: China
- local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
- local short form: Zhong Guo
- abbreviation: PRC
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Beijing
Administrative divisions:
- 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural),
- 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and
- 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)
- provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang :
- autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet) :
- municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
Independence:
- 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty);
- 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic);
- 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
Constitution: most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
- chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
- head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003);
- Vice Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
- cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)
- elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms;
- elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008);
- premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
- election results:
- HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (4 delegates voted against him, 4 abstained, and 38 did not vote);
- ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote);
- 2 seats were vacant
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
- elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held late 2007-February 2008)
- election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA
Judicial branch:
- Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress);
- Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and local courts);
- Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts)
Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP
Political pressure groups and leaders: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups
Diplomatic representation in the US:
- chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Jiechi
- chancery:
2300 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582
- consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
- chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
- embassy:
Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600
Beijing
- mailing address:
PSC 461,
Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
FAX: [86] (10) 6532-6929
- consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang
Credits: CIA - The World Factbook
