The vice premiers of the State Council of the People's Republic of China are high-ranking officials under the premier and above the state councillors and ministers.[1] 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 (Chinese: 第一副总理) or Executive Vice Premier (Chinese: 常务副总理), a most prominent case being Deng Xiaoping in the mid-to-late 1970s.[2][3] 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 (NPC) upon the nomination of the premier.[4] 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.[4] In practice, the vice premiers are chosen within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership, including the Politburo Standing Committee.[5]
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.[4] 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.[5]
Powers and authority
Vice premiers are the deputies to the premier, with each vice premier overseeing a certain area of administration.[6] Vice premiers are members of the executive meetings of the State Council, along with the premier, secretary-general and state councillors.[4] Additionally, all vice premiers have been members of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in recent decades, with the first-ranked vice premier being a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.[7]
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