State councillor

State Councillor of the People's Republic of China
State Councillor of the People's Republic of China
中华人民共和国国务委员
	National Emblem of the People's Republic of China
	Incumbent; Wang Xiaohong; Wu Zhenglong; Shen Yiqin; since 12 March 2023
	State Council of the People's Republic of China
Status	Sub-national leader level official
Member of	Plenary Meeting of the State Council; Executive Meeting of the State Council;
Reports to	Premier of the State Council
Residence	Zhongnanhai
Seat	Beijing
Nominator	Premier of the State Council
Appointer	President; pursuant to a National People's Congress decision
Term length	Five years, renewable once consecutively
Formation	4 May 1982; 42 years ago
Website	State Council

A state councillor (Chinese: 国务委员; pinyin: guówù wěiyuán) is a high-ranking position within the State Council, the executive organ of the Chinese government (comparable to a cabinet). It ranks immediately below the vice premiers and above the ministers of various departments. Similar to minister without portfolio, the position carries duties unspecified at the time of appointment, although state councillor may also be appointed to head a department.

History

The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council, when eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then.^[1]

Role

The state councillors are nominated by the premier, who are then approved by the National People's Congress and appointed by the president.^[2] Vice premiers are members of the executive meetings of the State Council, along with the premier, vice premiers, and the secretary-general.^[2] The state councilors selected once every five years and are limited to two terms.^[2]

The state councillors are tasked with assisting the premier, as well as be entrusted by the premier to take charge of work in certain fields or take certain special tasks.^[3] State councillors can also represent the State Council on foreign visits.^[3]

State councillors often accompany China's higher dignitaries on trips abroad, as was the case with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan from 2003–2008, and Dai Bingguo from 2008–2013. Dai also became China's representative at the 2009 G8 summit in Italy when President Hu Jintao decided to cut short his attendance to return to China in order to deal with the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.

List of state councillors

5th State Council (1982–1983)

The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council. Eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then, the only exception being Zhang Jingfu.^[1]

6th State Council (1983–1988)

7th State Council (1988–1993)

8th State Council (1993–1998)

9th State Council (1998–2003)

Chi Haotian	Luo Gan	Ismail Amat	Wu Yi	Wang Zhongyu

Minister of National Defence	Minister of Public Security	Ethnic affairs, etc.	Trade, etc.	Secretary-General of the State Council

10th State Council (2003–2008)

Zhou Yongkang	Cao Gangchuan	Tang Jiaxuan	Hua Jianmin	Chen Zhili

Minister of Public Security	Minister of National Defence	Foreign affairs	Secretary-General of the State Council	Education, sci-tech, culture, health, sport

11th State Council (2008–2013)

Liu Yandong	Ma Kai	Liang Guanglie	Meng Jianzhu	Dai Bingguo

Education, sci-tech, culture, sport	Secretary-General of the State Council	Minister of National Defence	Minister of Public Security	Foreign affairs

12th State Council (2013–2018)^[4]

Yang Jing	Chang Wanquan	Yang Jiechi	Guo Shengkun	Wang Yong

Secretary-General of the State Council until 24 February 2018	Minister of National Defence	Foreign affairs	Minister of Public Security	Disaster response, etc.

13th State Council (2018–2023)

Wei Fenghe	Wang Yong	Wang Yi	Xiao Jie	Zhao Kezhi

Minister of National Defence	Disaster response, etc.	Minister of Foreign Affairs	Secretary-General of the State Council	Minister of Public Security

14th State Council (2023–present)

From the 1st Session of the 14th National People's Congress to the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress^[5]

Li Shangfu	Wang Xiaohong	Wu Zhenglong	Shen Yiqin	Qin Gang

Minister of National Defence until 25 October 2023	Minister of Public Security	Secretary-General of the State Council	Civil affairs, human resources, etc.	Minister of Foreign Affairs until 25 July 2023

Since the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress

Wang Xiaohong	Wu Zhenglong	Shen Yiqin

Minister of Public Security	Secretary-General of the State Council	Civil affairs, human resources, etc.

References

^ ^a ^b Li, Jinshan (16 December 1998). Bureaucratic Restructure in Reforming China: A Redistribution of Political Power. World Scientific. p. 17. ISBN 978-981-4495-43-1.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Constitution of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
^ ^a ^b "Organic Law of the State Council of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
^ NPC endorses new cabinet lineup
^ "China's top legislature concludes standing committee session". Xinhua. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.

[Li1998-1] Li, Jinshan (16 December 1998). Bureaucratic Restructure in Reforming China: A Redistribution of Political Power. World Scientific. p. 17. ISBN 978-981-4495-43-1.

[:022-2] "Constitution of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress. Retrieved 2022-08-08.

[:0-3] "Organic Law of the State Council of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2023.

[4] NPC endorses new cabinet lineup

[5] "China's top legislature concludes standing committee session". Xinhua. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.

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