Government Society 　 Administrative Division System

　行政区域 The state structure 　国家机构 The Political System 　政治制度 Population and ethnic groups 人

口与少数民族

Chinese Government & Society

Administrative Division System 行政区域

Country国家

Province省

AutonomousRegion自治区

municipalities Directly under

the Central Government

直辖市

autonomous prefectures

自治州

Counties 县 autonomous

counties自治县

cities 市 Townships乡

national minority

townships 民族乡

towns 镇

At present, China was divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government, and 2 special administrative regions

Administrative Division System 行政区域

The State Structure 国家机构

the Supreme People's Procuratorate

（最高人民检察院）

the Supreme People's Court( 最高人民法院 )

the Central Military Commission

（中央军事委员会）

the State Council（国务院）

the Presidency of the PRC

( 国家主席 )

the National People's Congress (NPC) ( 全国人民代表大会 )

The State Structure( 国家机构 )

The National People‘s Congress is the organ of supreme power in the People’s Republic of China. Its permanent organ in office is the Standing Committee . Both the NPC and its Standing Committee are elected for a term of five years. They exercise the power of legislation , decision, supervision, election, appointment and dismissal.

The National People‘s Congress全国人大

Chairman

Wu Bangguo

The administrative branch of the state power is the Central People‘s Government （中央人民政府） and local people’s governments （地方人民政府） . The Central People’s Government, namely, the State Council,( 国务院 ) is the highest executive organ of State power, as well as the highest organ of State administration. The State Council is composed of a premier, vice-premiers, State councilors, ministers in charge of ministries and commissions, the auditor-general and the secretary-general.

　 The State Administrative Organ国家行政机关

Premier

Wen Jiabao

The President of the People's Republic of China is the Head of State, as well as the supreme representative of China both internally and externally. The State presidency is an independent State apparatus and a component part of China's State organization. China's system of the head of state is a system of collective leadership. The president is subordinate to the NPC and directly receives instructions from the supreme organ of State power.

To date, six men have held the office of the president of the People's Republic of China: Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Li Xiannian, Yang Shangkun, Jiang Zemin, and the current president, Hu Jintao.

Presidency 　国家主席

President

Hu Jintao

The president, as the head of the state, promulgates laws, appoints the premier, vice premiers, state councilors （国务委员） , ministers of various ministries and state commissions, the auditor-general（审计署审计长） , and the secretary-general （秘书长） of the State Council according to decisions of the National People's Congress and its standing committee. The president also confers awards and honorary titles of the state, issues order of special amnesty ( 特赦 ), and martial law, declares state of war and announces order of general mobilization.

　 Presidency 　国家主席

President

Hu Jintao

The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China is the highest state military organ with the responsibility of commanding the entire armed forces in the country. Led by a chairman and consisting of vice chairmen and members, the Commission is elected for a term of five years and can stand for reelection.

The armed forces of the PRC consist of the Chinese People's Liberation Army ("PLA"), the Chinese People's Armed Police Force （武警部队） and the Militia （民兵） . The PLA is the standing army of the state. The main tasks of the Armed Police Force include performing guard duties and maintaining public order. The Militia is an armed force of citizens who, when not on duty, remain engaged in their normal work and life.

Chairman

Hu Jintao

The Supreme People's Court is the highest trial organ in the country and exercises its right of trial independently. It is also the highest supervising organ over the trial practices of local people's courts ( 地方各级人民法院 )and special people's courts( 专门人民法院 ) at various levels. It reports its work to the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee. The right of appointment and removal of the president and vice presidents as well as members of the trial committee of the Supreme People's Court lies with the National People's Congress.

PresidentXiao Yang

The people's procuratorates are the highest legal supervision organs of the state. The prosecution system consists of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, local people's procuratorates （地方各级人民检察院） and special people's procuratorates （专门人民检察院） such as the military procuratorate.

It is mainly responsible for supervising regional procuratorates and special procuratorates to perform legal supervision by law and protecting the unified and proper enforcement of State laws. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has to report its work to the NPC and its Standing Committee, to whom it is responsible, and accept their supervision.

Procurator-general

Jia Chunwang

I. The Constitutional System II. The System of People's Congress III. The Party in Power IV. The System of Multi-Party Cooperation and

Political Consultation V. The Central Administrative System VI. The Local Administrative System VII. The System of the Head of State VIII. The System of Civil Servant IX. The Election System X. The System of Self-government of Ethnic

Autonomous Areas XI. Special Administrative Regions

　 China’s Political System

The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state. The existing Constitution was adopted at the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress and promulgated for implementation by the Proclamation of the National People's Congress on December 4, 1982, and amended in accordance with the amendments to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China adopted at the First Session of the Seventh National People's Congress on April 12, 1988, at the First Session of the Eighth National People's Congress on March 29, 1993, at the Second Session of the Ninth National People's Congress on March 15, 1999,and at the Second Session of the 10th National People's Congress on March 14, 2004

　 The Constitutional System

The Constitution 　

Preamble ( 序言 ) Chapter1 General Principles （总纲 )Chapter 2 The Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens （公民基本权利和义务）Chapter 3 The structure of the State （国家机构）Chapter 4 The National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Emblem and the Capital.

（国旗、国歌、国徽、首都）

The Communist Party of China is the country’s sole political party in power.

The socialist system led by the working class and based on the alliance of the workers and farmers is the fundamental system of the People’s Republic of China

All rights belong to the people The organizational principle for the state

organs is democratic centralism （民主集中制）

The armed forces of the People’s Republic of China belong to the people

Governing the country through the rule of law

Major Stipulations （规定） in the Constitution

The fundamental task and goals of the state

To concentrate on the socialist modernization drive along the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics; to adhere to the socialist road, persist in the reform and opening up program, improve the socialist system in all aspects, develop the market economy, expand democracy, and improve the rule of law; to be self-reliant and work hard to gradually realize the modernization of the industry, agriculture, national defense, science and technology so as to build China into a strong and democratic socialist country with a high degree of cultural development.

　 Major Stipulations in the Constitution

All ethnic groups are equal. All prejudice and oppression against any ethnic group is forbidden. All behaviors harmful to ethnic unity and aimed at ethnic separation are forbidden.

All citizens are equal before the law. The right to vote and stand for election The right to interpret the Constitution rests

with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The National People’s Congress holds the right to make amendments to the Constitution.

　 Major Stipulations in the Constitution

All power in China belongs to the people. The organs through which the people exercise state power are the NPC and the local people's congresses. Therefore, the people's congress system is China's fundamental political system. Its basic characteristics are: It has extensive representation, and is the basic form for the people to administer the country. It follows the principle of democratic centralism, i.e., it guarantees that the people enjoy extensive democracy and rights, at the same time guaranteeing that state power is exercised in a centralized and unified way.

　 The People's Congress System人民代表大会制度

Deputies to the people's congresses are elected at all levels, and are responsible to and accept supervision by the people.

The NPC, the highest organ of state power in the PRC, consists of deputies elected by all the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, special administrative regions and the armed forces.

The NPC is elected for a term of five years. It usually meets once a year.

　 The People's Congress System人民代表大会制度

It exercises legislative power, revises the Constitution and supervises the implementation of the Constitution;

examines and approves national economic and social development plans and reports on their implementation;

examines and approves state budgets and reports on their implementation; and elects and decides on the choice of leading personnel of the highest state organs, i.e., elects the members of the Standing Committee of the NPC, the state president and vice-president, decides on the premier and other members of the State Council, and elects the chairman and other members of the Central Military Commission, the president of the Supreme People's Court, and the procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The NPC has the power to recall the above-mentioned personnel.

Major Functions of The People's Congress System

The Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded on July 1, 1921. It is the ruling party in China, representing the interests of the entire Chinese nation and serving as the core of leadership over the socialist undertakings of China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the CPC led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to overcome various difficulties, transforming China from a poor and backward semi-colonial and semi-feudal country into a socialist state with initial prosperity.

The Party in Power

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the party in power in the country. The CPC has both central and local organizations. At the top is the Central Committee and, while when it is not in session, the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee （政治局常委） exercise the power of the Central Committee. Both the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee are elected by the plenary ( 完全 )session of the Central Committee.

The Party in Power

The CPC is a unified entity organized according to its program, constitution and the principle of democratic centralism. The Constitution of the Communist Party of China stipulates that any Chinese worker, farmer, member of the armed forces, intellectual and any advanced element of other social strata who has reached the age of 18 and who accepts the program and constitution of the CPC and is willing to join and work in one of the Party organizations, carry out the Party's decisions and pay membership dues regularly may apply for membership in the CPC.

The Party in Power

The multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is a basic political system in China. The system means that the CPC is the only party in power in the People’s Republic of China while under the precondition of accepting the leadership of the CPC, the eight other political parties participate in the discussion and management of state affairs, in cooperation with the CPC.

The System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation

多党合作和政治协商制度

Cooperative relations between the CPC and other political parties are based on the principle of “long-term coexistence and mutual supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal or woe” ( 长期共存，互相监督，肝胆相照，荣辱与共 ).

The System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation

多党合作和政治协商制度

Multi-party cooperation and political consultation take two principal forms:

(1) The Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC);

(2) consultative conferences and forums participated in by non-Communist parties and unaffiliated democrats at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee and local Party committees.

The System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation

多党合作和政治协商制度

Eight Democratic Parties

China Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang 中国国民党革命委员会China Democratic League 中国民主同盟 China Democratic National Construction Association中国民主建国会 China Association for the Promotion of Democracy 中国民主促进会Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party 中国农工民主党China Zhi Gong Dang 中国致公党 Jiusan Society 九三学社Taiwan Democratic Self-government League 台湾民主自治同盟

China Revolutionary Committee of theKuomintang 中国国民党革命委员会

Officially founded on January 1, 1948, its main constituents at the time were former Kuomintang members for democracy and other patriotic personages. Their political stand was to overthrow the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang and realize independence, democracy and peace in China.

Its members come from mainly four areas: those with relations with the Kuomintang, those with relations with people of all walks of life in Taiwan, those dedicated to the unification of the motherland and others. The party mainly draws members from representative people and middle-level and senior intellectuals.

China Democratic League 中国民主同盟

First established in November 1939, it took its present name in September 1944. At the time, it was a united political organization consisting of political parties and forces favoring the middle road and democracy.

China Democratic League is mainly made up by middle-level and senior intellectuals in the fields of culture, education, science and technology.

China Democratic National Construction Association

中国民主建国会 It was established on December 16, 1945. Its political

stand at the time was to guarantee the basic political rights and human rights of citizens, protect and develop national industry and commerce and oppose the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang.

Its present constitution calls for the implementation of the CPC’s policy of focusing on economic construction, acceptance of the leadership of the CPC, persisting in the tradition of self-education, adhering to the principle of democratic centralism and carrying out the policy of multi-party cooperation and political consultation. Most of its 78,000 members are representative figures in the economic field.

China Association for the Promotion of Democracy

中国民主促进会 When it was founded on December 30, 1945, it

was made up mostly by people engaged in education and publishing and patriotic figures in industry and commerce in Shanghai who stood for promotion of democracy and reform of the political power. It called on the Kuomintang to return the political power to the people, and to establish a united and constitutional government.

The association is mainly made up of representative intellectuals in the fields of education, culture, publishing and science.

Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party

中国农工民主党 Founded in August 1930, its main political

program was to oppose the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang and establish the power of the people.

Its present program includes the stand to accept the leadership of the CPC, adhere to multi-party cooperation and political consultation, practice democratic centralism and safeguard the rights and interests of party members and associated intellectuals.

China Zhi Gong Dang 中国致公党

China Zhi Gong Dang was founded in San Francisco, October 1925 by overseas Chinese organizations in North America.

According to its constitution, the party is made up mainly by the middle and upper levels of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. Its job is to assist the CPC and the Chinese government, to consolidate and develop political stability, to safeguard the rights and interests of party members and associated returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, to reflect their opinions and demands and to practice democratic centralism.

Jiusan Society 九三学社 When it was first established in May 1946, its

political stand was to carry on the tradition of democracy and science, oppose the civil war and practice democratic politics.

The present program of Jiusan Society stipulates that organizationally, the party draws members from representative middle and senior level intellectuals in the fields of science, technology, higher education and medicine. It stands for the multi-party cooperation and political consultation, democratic centralism and the safeguard of the rights and interest of its members.

Taiwan Democratic Self-government League

台湾民主自治同盟 It was established in Hong Kong on November 12, 1947.

At the time it was a political organization of Taiwan residents, which was founded and existed outside Taiwan Province, sought to become free from the rule of the Kuomintang, and implement democracy and regional self-government. In March 1949, the league moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to Beijing.

Its present political program stands for patriotism and socialism, uniting with league members and Taiwan compatriots and striving for the acceleration of the reform, opening up and socialist modernization drive, safeguarding stability and unity, improvement of socialist democracy and legal system and the realization of the peaceful unification of the motherland and “one country, two systems”.

Population and ethnic groups

人口与少数民族 China is a united multi-ethnic nation of

56 ethnic groups.  According to the fourth national census, taken in 1990, the Han people made up 91.96% of the country's total population, and the other 55 ethnic groups, 8.04%.  As the majority of the population is of the Han ethnic group, China's other ethnic groups are customarily referred to as the national minorities.

Regional Autonomy for Minority Peoples 少数民族的区

域自治 Equality, unity, mutual help and common

prosperity are the basic principles of the Chinese government in handling the relations between ethnic groups. The Constitution of the PRC specifies that all ethnic groups are equal. The state guarantees the lawful rights and interests of the minority peoples. Discrimination against or oppression of any ethnic group is prohibited; all acts that undermine the unity of the ethnic groups or create splittism among them are forbidden. Big-ethnic group chauvinism, mainly Han-chauvinism, or chauvinism on a local level, is banned. Every ethnic group has the freedom to use its own spoken and written languages, and to retain or change its customs.

Regional Autonomy for Minority Peoples 少数民族的区

域自治 Organs of self-government in regional

autonomous areas enjoy extensive self-government rights beyond those held by other state organs at the same level. These include enacting regulations on autonomy and special regulations corresponding to local political, economic and cultural conditions, having independent control of the local revenue, and independently arranging and managing construction, education, science, culture, public health and other local undertakings.