China: Government



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
Note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province.

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