Premier of China
| Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China | |
|---|---|
| 中华人民共和国国务院总理 | |
since 11 March 2023 | |
| State Council of the People's Republic of China | |
| Style | Comrade (同志) (formal) His Excellency (阁下) (diplomatic) |
| Type | Head of government |
| Status | National-level official |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | National People's Congress and its Standing Committee |
| Residence | Premier's Office, Zhongnanhai, Beijing |
| Seat | Beijing |
| Nominator | President (chosen within the Chinese Communist Party) |
| Appointer | National People's Congress |
| Term length | Five years, renewable once consecutively |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of China |
| Precursor | Premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government |
| Inaugural holder | Yikuang (Qing dynasty) Zhou Enlai (current form) |
| Formation | 8 May 1911 (Premier of the Imperial Cabinet) 12 March 1912 (Republican era) 1 October 1949 (Premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government) 27 September 1954 (Premier of the State Council) |
| Unofficial names | Prime Minister |
| Deputy | Vice Premier State councillor |
| Salary | CN¥150,000 per annum est. (2015) |
| Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国国务院总理 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國國務院總理 | ||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国务院总理 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國務院總理 | ||||||
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| China portal |
The premier of China, officially the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, is the head of government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and leader of the State Council, the executive organ of the National People's Congress and highest administrative organ of state power.
The post of prime minister was established in 1911 near the end of the Qing dynasty. After the PRC was established in 1949, the premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government was established. With the adoption of a constitution in 1954, the post was renamed into the premier of the State Council. The premier is the third-highest-ranking official in China's political system after the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (party leader) and the president (state representative), and holds the highest rank in the civil service of the central government. Since 1993, the positions of general secretary and president have been held by the same person, making the premier effectively the second-highest-ranking official in practice.
The premier presides over the plenary and executive meetings of the State Council, and assumes overall leadership over the State Council's work. The premier delivers a government work report at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC). The premier also signs administrative regulations passed by the State Council and signs the orders approving the appointment and removal of vice-ministerial level officials of the State Council, as well as chief executives of Hong Kong and of Macau. The premier additionally has the authority to impose martial law. The premier is assisted by four vice premiers and state councillors in their duties. The premier heads the Leading Party Members Group of the State Council. In China's political system, the premier has generally been considereed to be the one responsible for managing the economy.
The premier is constitutionally appointed by the NPC after being nominated by the president, and responsible to NPC and its Standing Committee. The premier serves for a five-year term, renewable once consecutively. Every premier has been a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee since the PRC's founding in 1949, except during brief transition periods. The incumbent premier is Li Qiang, who took office on 11 March 2023, succeeding Li Keqiang.