State councillor


A State Councillor of the People's Republic of China serves as a senior vice leader within the State Council and shares responsibilities with the Vice Premiers in assisting the Premier in the administration and coordination of governmental affairs.

History

The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council, when eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then.

Role

The state councillors are nominated by the premier, who are then approved by the National People's Congress and appointed by the president. Candidates for top positions including the state councillors 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.
State councillors are members of the executive meetings of the State Council, along with the premier, vice premiers, and the secretary-general. The state councilors selected once every five years and are limited to two terms. The state councillors are tasked with assisting the premier, as well as be entrusted by the premier to take charge of work in certain fields or take certain special tasks. State councillors can also represent the State Council on foreign visits.
State councillors often accompany China's higher dignitaries on trips abroad, as was the case with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan from 2003–2008, and Dai Bingguo from 2008–2013. Dai also became China's representative at the 2009 G8 summit in Italy when President Hu Jintao decided to cut short his attendance to return to China in order to deal with the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.

List of state councillors

; 5th State Council
The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council. Eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then, the only exception being Zhang Jingfu.
  1. Yu Qiuli
  2. Geng Biao
  3. Fang Yi
  4. Gu Mu
  5. Kang Shi'en
  6. Chen Muhua
  7. Bo Yibo
  8. Ji Pengfei
  9. Huang Hua
  10. Zhang Jingfu
  11. Zhang Aiping
; 6th State Council
  1. Fang Yi
  2. Gu Mu
  3. Kang Shi'en
  4. Chen Muhua
  5. Ji Pengfei
  6. Zhang Jingfu
  7. Zhang Aiping
  8. Wu Xueqian
  9. Wang Bingqian
  10. Song Ping
  11. Song Jian
; 7th State Council
  1. Li Tieying
  2. Qin Jiwei
  3. Wang Bingqian
  4. Song Jian
  5. Wang Fang
  6. Zou Jiahua
  7. Li Guixian
  8. Chen Xitong
  9. Chen Junsheng
  10. Qian Qichen
; 8th State Council
  1. Li Tieying
  2. Chi Haotian
  3. Song Jian
  4. Li Guixian
  5. Chen Junsheng
  6. Ismail Amat
  7. Peng Peiyun
  8. Luo Gan - Secretary-General of the State Council
; 9th State Council
Chi HaotianLuo GanIsmail AmatWu YiWang Zhongyu
Minister of National DefenceMinister of Public SecurityEthnic affairs, etc.Trade, etc.Secretary-General
of the State Council

; 10th State Council
Zhou YongkangCao GangchuanTang JiaxuanHua JianminChen Zhili
Minister of Public SecurityMinister of National DefenceForeign affairsSecretary-General
of the State Council		Education, sci-tech, culture, health, sport

; 11th State Council
Liu YandongMa KaiLiang GuanglieMeng JianzhuDai Bingguo
Education, sci-tech, culture, sportSecretary-General
of the State Council		Minister of National DefenceMinister of Public SecurityForeign affairs

; 12th State Council
Yang JingChang WanquanYang JiechiGuo ShengkunWang Yong
Secretary-General of the State Council until 24 February 2018Minister of National DefenceForeign affairsMinister of Public SecurityDisaster response, etc.

; 13th State Council
Wei FengheWang YongWang YiXiao JieZhao Kezhi
Minister of National DefenceDisaster response, etc.Minister of Foreign AffairsSecretary-General of the State CouncilMinister of Public Security

; 14th State Council
From the 1st Session of the 14th National People's Congress to the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress
Li ShangfuWang XiaohongWu ZhenglongShen YiqinQin Gang
Minister of National Defence until 25 October 2023Minister of Public SecuritySecretary-General of the State CouncilCivil affairs, human resources, etc.Minister of Foreign Affairs until 25 July 2023

Since the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress
Wang XiaohongWu ZhenglongShen Yiqin
Minister of Public SecuritySecretary-General of the State CouncilCivil affairs, human resources, etc.