State Council of China
The State Council (国务院 Pinyin: Guowu Yuan) is the chief administrative body of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and contains the heads of each governmental department and agency. There are about 50 members in the Council.
Standing Committee members of the State Council include the premier, four vice-premiers, five state councilors, and the secretary-general. The State Council meets once a month. Its standing committee meets twice a week.
The vice-premiers and state councilors are nominated by the premier, and appointed by the president with National People's Congress' (NPC) approval. The premier is nominated and appointed by the president with NPC approval. Incumbents may serve two successive five-year terms.
Each vice premier oversees certain areas of administration. The secretary-general, as head of the General Office, handles the day-to-day work of the State Council.
Each ministry supervises one sector. Commissions outrank ministries and set policies for and coordinate the related activities of different administrative organs. Offices deal with matters of ongoing concern. Bureaus and administrations rank below ministries.
Although formally responsible to the NPC and its Standing Committee in conducting a wide range of government functions both at the national and at the local levels, the State Council is responsive mainly to the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, under the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee. This orientation was dictated by the fact that the senior members of the State Council are concurrently influential party leaders--a tie that has facilitated the party's centralized control over the state apparatus. It also tends to obscure distinctions between the party and the government, resulting in overcentralization of power in the hands of a few, and arbitrary behavior by, key leaders. Both excesses were condemned by reform leaders, such as Zhao Ziyang.
As the chief administrative organ of government, its main functions 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 State Council is the functional center of state power and clearinghouse for government initiatives at all levels. With the government's emphasis on economic modernization, the State Council clearly acquired additional importance and influence.
See also: Politics of China
Ministries and Commissions of the State Council:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of National Defense
- State Development Planning Commission
- State Economic and Trade Commission
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Science and Technology
- State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
- State Ethnic Affairs Commission
- Ministry of Public Security
- Ministry of State Security
- Ministry of Supervision
- Ministry of Civil Affairs
- Ministry of Justice
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Personnel
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security
- Ministry of Land and Resources
- Ministry of Construction
- Ministry of Railways
- Ministry of Communications
- Ministry of Information Industry
- Ministry of Water Resources
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC)
- Ministry of Culture
- Ministry of Health
- State Family Planning Commission
- People's Bank of China
- National Audit Office
Bureaux and Administrations under the State Council:
- General Administration of Customs
- State Bureau of Taxation
- State Environmental Protection Administration
- Civil Aviation Administration of China
- State Administration of Radio, Film and Television
- State Sports General Administration
- State Statistics Bureau
- State Administration for Industry and Commerce
- State Press and Publication Administration
- State Forestry Bureau
- General Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine
- State Drug Administration
- State Intellectual Property Office
- National Tourism Administration
- State Administration for Religious Affairs
- Counselor's Office under the State Council
- Bureau of Government Offices Administration
- State Industrial Safety Supervision Administration
Offices:
Institutions:
Bureaux Supervised by Commissions and Ministries:
- State Grain Bureau
- State Tobacco Monopoly Industry Bureau
- State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs
- State Oceanography Bureau
- State Bureau of Surveying & Mapping
- State Postal Bureau
- State Bureau of Cultural Relics
- State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- State Administration of Foreign Exchange
External link
- More information and list of incumbents: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/organs/statecouncil.shtml#Ministry
Referenced By
Article 23 | China Securities Regulatory Commission | China Unicom | China United Telecommunications Corporation | China after Mao | Chinese Academy of Science | Chinese Academy of Sciences | Chinese Academy of Social Science | Chinese Academy of Social Sciences | Chinese tabloid | Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense | Cuifengcun Town | Cuiheng | Cuiheng Village | Cuihengcun | Economy of China | Economy of the People's Republic of China | Environment in China | Environment of China | History of the PRC (1976-present) | History of the People's Republic of China (1976-present) | Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 | Information Office of the State Council | List of China-related topics M-Z | Peoples Republic of China/Economy | Peoples Republic of China/Government | Politics of China | Politics of the People's Republic of China | Shenzhou 5 | Shenzhou V | State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense | State Council Information Office | Xinhua | Xinhua News | Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua Press Agency | Xinhuanet
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