State Council of China
| 中华人民共和国国务院 Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Guówùyuàn | |
The State Council's First Conference Room | |
| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 27 September 1954 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Type | Executive body of the National People's Congress Highest organ of State administration |
| Jurisdiction | Government of the People's Republic of China |
| Headquarters | State Council Office Secretariat, Zhongnanhai, Beijing |
| Annual budget | $4.35 trillion (2026) |
| Agency executives | |
| Child agencies | |
| Website | english |
| State Council of China | |||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 中华人民共和国国务院 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華人民共和國國務院 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | "People's Republic of China State Affairs Court" | ||||||||
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| State Council (commonly used abbreviation) | |||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国务院 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國務院 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | "The Court of State Affairs" | ||||||||
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| Central People's Government (Constitutional synonym) | |||||||||
| Chinese | 中央人民政府 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Central People Government | ||||||||
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| China portal |
The State Council of the People's Republic of China, synonymous with Central People's Government, is the supreme administrative organ of the country's unified state apparatus and the executive organ of the National People's Congress (NPC), the supreme organ of state power. It is composed of a premier, vice premiers, state councilors, ministers, chairpersons of commissions, an auditor-general, the governor of the People's Bank of China, and a secretary-general.
The Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government was established in 1949 with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China. Under the 1954 constitution, the Government Administration Council was succeeded by the State Council, which became the supreme administrative organ of the state. Since 1982, the State Council has undergone institutional reforms every five years. The main functions of the State Council are to formulate administrative measures, issue decisions and orders, and monitor their implementation; draft legislative bills for submission to the NPC or its Standing Committee; and prepare the economic plan and the state budget for deliberation and approval by the NPC.
The premier of the State Council is responsible for the State Council and exercises overall leadership of its work. The secretary-general of the State Council, under the leadership of the premier, is responsible for handling the daily work of the State Council and heads the General Office of the State Council. The premier is appointed by the NPC after a nomination from the president; the premier then nominates members of the State Council for appointment by the NPC or its Standing Committee. The executive meeting of the State Council, consisting of the premier, vice-premiers, state councilors, and the secretary-general, is held two to three times a month, while the plenary meeting, consisting of all members of the State Council, is held every six months.
The State Council directly oversees provincial-level People's Governments, and in practice maintains membership with top levels of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The State Council is constitutionally accountable to the NPC and its Standing Committee. The Organic Law of the State Council outlines that the State Council acts under the leadership of the CCP Central Committee and follows CCP ideology. Aside from a few, members of the State Council are also members of the CCP Central Committee.