Vice Premier of China
The vice premiers of the State Council of the People's Republic of China serves as a deputy leader within the State Council. In terms of administrative hierarchy, the Vice Premier holds a position superior to that of ministers, commission directors, and the Secretary-General of the State Council, while remaining subordinate to the Premier and holding a rank equivalent to that of State Councilors. Generally, the title is held by multiple individuals at any given time, with each vice-premier holding a broad portfolio of responsibilities. The first vice-premier takes over duties of the premier at the time of the latter's incapacity. The incumbent vice premiers, in order of rank, are Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong.
The highest-ranked office holder is informally called the Senior Vice Premier or First Vice Premier or Executive Vice Premier, a most prominent case being Deng Xiaoping in the mid-to-late 1970s. In irregular instances, the position of a senior vice premier has been named either to indicate degree of power, nominal power, or when the premier is incapacitated and requires a full-time deputy to carry out his regular duties.
Selection
Officially, the vice premiers are appointed by the National People's Congress upon the nomination of the premier. The NPC also has the power to remove the vice premiers and other state officers from office. Elections and removals are decided by majority vote. In practice, the vice premiers are chosen within the Chinese Communist Party leadership, including the Politburo Standing Committee. Candidates for top positions including the vice premier are first approved first by the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee, and then by its Politburo, then approved in a special plenary session the Central Committee just before the NPC session for vote by the Congress, with the premier nominating the candidates during the NPC session.The length of the vice premier's term of office is the same as the NPC, which is 5 years, and the vice premiers are restricted to two consecutive terms. Immediately after the election, the president signs the presidential order formalizing the appointment of the vice premiers. Since 2018, the vice premiers are required to collectively recite the constitutional oath of office before assuming office.