State Councilor

People's Republic of China

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The State Councilor (Chinese: 国务委员; pinyin: Guówù Wěiyuán) is a powerful position within the State Council of the People's Republic of China, i.e. the executive organ of China's central government (comparable to a cabinet). It ranks immediately below the Vice-Premiers and above the Ministers of various departments.

Role

In theory, State Councilors are to assist the Premier and Vice-Premiers to oversee various government portfolios. They can also represent the State Council (and in turn, China's government) on foreign visits. State Councilors are part of a Standing Committee of the State Council, alongside the Premier, Vice-Premiers, and the Secretary General of the State Council. The organ holds weekly meetings. In practice, a state councilor's portfolios can be very wide-ranging. State councilors often accompany China's higher dignitaries on trips abroad - as was the case with State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan from 2003–08, and Dai Bingguo from 2008–present. 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 Urumqi riots.

List of State Councilors

1988-1998

• Chen Junsheng 1988—1998
• Li Guixian 1988—1998

1993-1998

• Ismail Amat
• Luo Gan - Secretary General of the State Council

1998-2003

• Wang Zhongyu - Secretary General of the State Council
• Wu Yi
• Ismail Amat

2003-2008

• Chen Zhili - (education, culture, sports-related issues)
• Hua Jianmin - Secretary General of the State Council (economic-related issues)
• Cao Gangchuan - Minister of Defence
• Zhou Yongkang - Minister of Public Security
• Tang Jiaxuan - Foreign Minister

2008-Present

• Liu Yandong - CPPCC Vice Chair
• Liang Guanglie - Minister of Defence
• Ma Kai - Secretary General of the State Council (economic-related issues)
• Meng Jianzhu - Minister of Public Security
• Dai Bingguo - (foreign affairs-related issues)

External links

• Governing Laws of the State Council