CHINESE Political institutionsThe Essentials

Parallel POWER

Structures

STATE

PLA

CCP

THE STATE

The STATE is actually the least important or weakest of the 3 institutions.

Examples of the State would be the “President” or the “Premier”.

PROOF: Deng Xiaoping was the unquestioned leader of China even though he had no high level position in the State.

I’VE GOT A QUESTION?Can People in CHINA vote? Is there Chinese Democracy???

Standing Committee

(7)

Politburo(24)

Central Committee (205)

National People’s Congress(2987)

The men who RULE China…

Reality Check

On PAPER the Chinese Constitution calls for the National People’s Congress to elect the Chinese President.

In 2013 Xi Jinping got 2952 of 2987 votes. (5 year term)

In REALITY the President was chosen by a much smaller group like the Standing Committee

CCP

Chinese Communist Party is the largest political party in the world with about 80 million members.

Membership has its REWARDS!!!

Democratic centralism & The Mass Line.

Guanxi – Nomeklatura system specific to China.

The BIG man of the CCP

The General Secretary is the head of the Chinese Communist Party. This is an extremely important and powerful post in Chinese society.

Mao was the defacto head of the CCP during most of his reign as leader of China.

The current General Secretary of the CCP is none other than…Xi Jinping!

Guanxi

PLA

PLA – People’s Liberation Army.

The head of the PLA is the Central Military Commission Chairman.

The PLA has been an “active” participant in Communist China’s political systems from the revolution, Tiananmen Square, to the present.

TRIFECTA

Xi Jinping is…

President of China

General Secretary of the CCP

Chairman of the CMC